By Darcia Senft The Law Society of Manitoba is pleased to announce that it is launching its “Regulatory Sandbox” pilot project. The objective of our Sandbox initiative is to improve access to justice by improving access to legal advice and assistance. Individuals, business and organizations with an interest in providing legal services that assist those […]
The Law Society of Manitoba’s New Access to Justice Initiative Read More »
By Eric Epp Recently, in Anderson v Alberta, the Supreme Court refined the test for impecuniosity when determining whether to award advance costs in litigation pursued in the public interest. This is to be given special consideration when it involves First Nations claims in order to pursue reconciliation. The new test allows for impecuniosity to be
By Calvin Ediger Legal clinics provide an important avenue for access to justice initiatives across Canada. Recently the Department of Justice released a report studying the impacts of Covid-19 upon legal clinics across the country. The study focused mainly on clinics that provided services tied to federal jurisdiction, “criminal law, marriage and divorce, immigration and
By Calvin Ediger On December 3rd, 2020, royal assent was given to The Remote Witnessing and Commissioning Act which amended several acts, including The Manitoba Evidence Act, to allow the electronic witnessing of documents including affidavits. Previously affiants (those making the affidavit) were required to be physically present with the individual authorized to administer the oath and witness
Written by Calvin Ediger The Supreme Court has recently clarified the law with regards to public interest standing in British Columbia (Attorney General) v. Council of Canadians with Disabilities. Public interest standing allows organizations or individuals to bring a matter to court even though they are not directly impacted or had their rights infringed. This improves access
Written by Calvin Ediger In July 2021 the Department of Justice’s Evaluation Branch released a report entitled Evaluation of the Legal Aid Program. Presented within was an evaluation of the effectiveness in federal funding for legal aid programs covering the fiscal years 2016-2017 to 2019-2020.[1] More information was released by the Department of Justice’s Research and Statistics
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By Natasha Brown As one of the two Manitoba representatives on the Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters (“Action Committee”), I attended the Summit which took place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, from May 25 – May 27 2022. The first day of the Summit was held at the Wanuskewin Educational Centre
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Written by Calvin Ediger The Manitoba Legislature has recently passed the Court of Appeal and Provincial Court Amendment Act. The act serves to advance the cause of access to justice in Manitoba. Specifically, the act allows for the Chief Justice of Manitoba to appoint a judge to meet with the parties to attempt to settle issues
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Written by Calvin Ediger In its recent report No Turning Back: CBA Task Force Report on Justice Issues Arising from Covid-19, the Canadian Bar Association remarked on the rapid adoption of new technology by Canadian legal actors. Many of these newly adopted technologies promise to save time, costs, and improve access for individuals seeking to access
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Written by Calvin Ediger Summary judgment motions are a powerful tool in the hands of modern courts that can greatly decrease the cost and time commitment of court proceedings for litigants. The Supreme Court endorsed summary judgment as a substitute for full trials in the case of Hryniak v. Mauldin, a case that arose in Ontario
Opinion: Manitoba Should Look to Ontario’s Lead in Summary Judgment Availability Read More »
