Alberta takes part in Canada's first national Access to Justice Week

Access to Justice Week is taking place from October 26 to 31, 2020 in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Organizers will be highlighting the work of justice organizations and pro bono organizations in each province, hosting a series of webinars to educate the public, lawyers and community organizations on how to improve access to justice in their own neighbourhoods.

“In any three-year period nearly half of the people in Canada will have a problem serious enough to require legal assistance,” said Brea Lowenberger, Director of CREATE Justice and organizer of Access to Justice Week in Saskatchewan. “Yet in most provinces, someone working full-time at a minimum-wage job earns too much to qualify for legal aid. Many Canadians face additional obstacles including a lack of fluency in English, physical distance from justice services and distrust of legal institutions. These obstacles have only become greater because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are pleased to have come together across the country for the first time this year to celebrate Access to Justice Week and provide the tools that the legal profession and the public need to address these obstacles.”

The week will include national and provincial events. More information about the events taking place in Alberta (or taking place virtually and available to Albertans) are listed on the events page of the A2J Week website. Our blog this year will highlight contributions from individuals and organizations in Alberta exploring how the justice sector responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges highlighted by the pandemic, and potential solutions to improve access to justice across the province.

Come join the conversation!