Working together to improve access to justice

June 3 was a very special day for me. It was the launch and inaugural meeting of TAG – The Action Group on Action to Justice

I believe it was also an important occasion for access to justice in Ontario. I see it as a tipping point, a time when a certain critical mass was finally achieved.

For the last two years – my term as Treasurer – I have sought to expand the role of the Law Society in improving access to justice. I met and worked with many dedicated people to help define that role.

We agreed that Ontarians need to be able to access their justice system in a timely fashion, in ways they can understand, at a price they can afford.

There was also an almost universal acknowledgment of the need for a forum to foster greater collaboration in creating solutions, and recognition that the Law Society could play a key role in facilitating that forum.

On Tuesday, that concept became a reality.

TAG partners met for the first time as The Action Group on Access to Justice. We shared ideas for innovation and collaboration, and processes for moving forward. Grant Wedge, the Law Society’s Executive Director, Policy, Equity and Public Affairs is distilling our discussions into a draft plan for review at TAG’s next meeting.

The drive and commitment to improve access to justice that participants brought to the meeting resonated throughout the room and the Law Society, as facilitator of TAG, is determined to keep up that momentum.

On Tuesday, I was very proud, to the extent that I have had the privilege through my position as Treasurer, to bring TAG partners together to find a common voice and build a shared commitment that is truly more than the sum of its parts.