Over the past three years, nearly 12 million Canadians will have experienced at least one legal problem. However, few Canadians have the resources to navigate the legal system to address their legal problems. Court and legal fees are major obstacles in the pursuit of justice. JusticeFundr is the … [Read more...]
The Right of an Imprisoned Accused to Conduct Online Research
Case Commented On: R v Biever, 2015 ABQB 301 The link between access to information and access to justice is not often discussed, but it is implicit in our legal process. Document production, questioning, and Crown disclosure are all premised on the notion that one needs access to relevant … [Read more...]
Access to Justice: Potential Alternatives for Indigenous Peoples
About a year ago, there had been some publicity concerning Louie v. Louie BCCA, a court case where I acted as barrister and solicitor for an intervenor at the B.C. Court of Appeal. The case had involved a band member who sued his Chief and Council for a breach of fiduciary obligation. I was … [Read more...]
Access to Legal Services in Womens’ Shelters
In December 2015, the Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family (CRILF) published a new report, Access to Legal Services in Women’s Shelters, authored by myself and Dr. Lorne Bertrand, examining access to legal services among clients of women’s domestic violence shelters. The study sampled … [Read more...]
Right to Counsel Includes Access to Counsel
Introduction The right to counsel upon arrest is a constitutionally protected right under section 10(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. On July 18, 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada clarified the importance of this right in the case of R v Taylor (Taylor). In this case, the police … [Read more...]