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The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Access to Justice
It has been nearly two decades since the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was passed. The Act mandates that organizations across all levels of government, private sectors, and non-profits become accessible to people with disabilities. The end goal is to create a fully accessible Ontario by 2025. With the deadline just three years
Read NowCanada is Falling Farther Behind Other Countries on Access to Civil Justice
The World Justice Project (WJP) will soon release the 2022 WJP Rule of Law Index. This article discusses the 2021 WJP Rule of Law Index and what it reveals about the state of civil justice in Canada. The Rule of Law Index is an overall score made up of eight components: (i) Constraints on Government
read nowThe 2021 International Legal Aid Group (ILAG) Conference and the Challenge of COVID-19
Last year, the biennial ILAG conference, Access to Justice and the Challenge of COVID-19 was held from June 22 to 24. The ILAG conferences have become the premier legal aid conference series in the world, held every two years in a different international location since its beginnings in 1994 as a meeting in which a
read nowUsing Interactive PLE Programming to Create Paths to Justice for Newcomers
The idea of paths to justice is a foundational metaphor for access to justice in the contemporary discourse on legal problems. In her seminal research, Professor Genn focused on the legal needs of the public rather than issues related to the courts. Her approach was to focus on the behaviour of members of the public
read nowThe Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Community Legal Clinics and Pro Bono Legal Services in Ontario
“IMPORTANT NOTICE: In light of COVID-19, we have moved to telephone only.” Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, community legal clinics, pro bono services, and other legal service providers have updated their websites with similar notices. The pandemic has prompted major changes to the delivery and focus of pro bono and legal clinic services
read nowCOVID, Tech, and the Legal System
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the court system in Canada was plagued by long wait times and constant delays. The pandemic brought new public health orders discouraging in-person proceedings, and so much of the Canadian court system moved online. Different courts reacted to the pandemic in different ways, but there is no court for which the
read nowA One-Stop-Shop for Civil Access to Justice
Introduction: Access to justice has been defined in a variety of ways and often encompasses a breadth of issues. The definition provided by Community Legal Education of Ontario (CLEO) is as follows: “access to justice exists when people can pursue their goals and address their law-related problems in ways that are consistent with fair legal
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