This article was originally published in CBA Alberta's Law Matters publication on April 29, 2021.

By: Koren Lightning-Earle

It has been over a year since COVID-19 became a part of our everyday language and lives in Canada. I am sure we all remember where we were, who we were with and what we were doing when we first heard the phrase "stay home and stay safe." Thinking back, I had heard about Zoom, I had video conferenced into meetings on occasion, but nothing I could image would compare to what the future would bring. I quickly became best friends with Zoom, and now, can confidently add "Zoom Technician" to the list of services I provide to my clients.

The world halted... and that included our Indigenous communities. Buildings shut down, streets emptied, and people stayed home listening to the radio or watching the new anxiously awaiting word of when things would get back to normal. All my meetings with Indigenous clients were cancelled. All of my meetings with non-Indigenous agencies continued online with Zoom, Team or Google Meet.

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This article was originally published in CBA Alberta's Law Matters publication on November 9, 2021.

By: The Hon. Judge Michelle Christoper

I am delighted to have been asked to share my perspectives on life as a provincial court judge, particularly since I have now been a judge long enough to suppress the urge to stand up when the clerk calls out "all rise" and to back out of the courtroom when I depart, both remnants of my 30+ years as a litigator.

I now travel the circuit of Alberta's southernmost region, which is comprise of the judicial districts of Medicine Hat and Lethbridge. Seven courthouses dot the small cities and towns of this area, which stretches south of Calgary from our borders with Saskatchewan to the east, British Columbia to the west and the U.S. to the south. It is also home to the Kainai Nation (the Blood Tribe), the largest First Nation reserve by area in Canada and one of the most populous in the country.

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By: Legal Aid Alberta

Right now, 35,000 Albertans in 75 communities are receiving legal aid assistance and demand never stops. People depending on legal aid face extremely challenging life circumstances such as mental health issues, past trauma and addiction. On average, our clients earn less than $10,000 a year. Many are stuck in a cycle. 
 
Legal Aid Alberta plays an essential frontline role in the province’s three therapeutic courts, supporting fairness in the criminal justice system and providing alternative pathways out of the system.

By: Chris Wiebe, Engel Law Office
On July 5, 2021, in response to a recommendation from City Administration, Edmonton City Council voted unanimously to pass Bylaw 19782, which repealed the anti-loitering provision from Bylaw 8353 (the Conduct of Transit Passengers bylaw. The anti-loitering provision used to read: “[a] person shall not loiter on Transit Property or in a Transit Vehicle for longer than required to reach their destination.”

To me, the repeal of the anti-loitering provision was welcome news. In December 2019, while working at Student Legal Services of Edmonton (SLS), I co-wrote “No Fixed Address” with my friend Megan Washington (now an associate of Queck Law) recommending that Council repeal the anti-loitering provision. I wrote about that report in a post from last year’s Access to Justice week. 

By: Justice Sector Constellation
One of the reasons for an Access to Justice Week is that many people lack knowledge about how to address legal issues and where to find legal information. Also, people are often not aware of how legal issues may be related to other life challenges, or of the societal cost of unresolved legal issues.
 
The Justice Sector Constellation is a collective impact initiative that brings together justice sector administration, service providers and stakeholders to address systemic issues within the justice sector. The mission of the Constellation is to intervene at the intersection of poverty and the legal system so that everyone facing a legal issue can access the justice sector resources and services they need.