Access to Justice

This seminar will engage students in an examination of the access to justice (A2J) crisis for low and middle-income Canadians and historically disadvantaged groups. We will explore how individuals seek to manage their legal problems by engaging with and navigating the justice system in Manitoba. It is intended that guest lecturers and experts will assist the class in reviewing the nature of past and current obstacles to timely and fair A2J as well as reform initiatives undertaken by justice system stakeholders including the legal profession, the judiciary and government. Other topics which may be covered in the course include: public legal services; the proliferation of self-represented litigants; the role of pro bono services; the A2J barriers facing Indigenous peoples, those who are members of historically disadvantaged groups and those residing in rural and remote communities; the costs of justice; the state of A2J research; the provision of legal services by non-lawyers; online dispute resolution; and, technology, innovation and the legal practice of the future. Indigenous perspectives on access to justice and the administration of justice are considered.