The commitment to include paralegals is a response to a report from former Ontario court Chief Justice Annemarie Bonkalo. Significantly, the report noted that 57% of Ontarians did not have legal representation in family law matters. This statistic should be shocking, but anyone who has paid limited attention to the world of family law should not be surprised. Many people cannot afford a lawyer...
The Supreme Court of Canada is currently penning the final chapter in Trinity Western University’s law school saga – a legal drama that has wound its way up to the top court from Ontario and B.C. over the past 4 years. In their reasons, the justices are expected to deliver a landmark ruling on the balance of equality and religious freedom rights in Canada. In doing so, they could...
At Old City Hall, just a few days ago, RJ’s name filled up the afternoon docket. Over a period of 10 years RJ had accumulated thousands of dollars in fines for provincial offences. With the assistance of his representative from the Fair Change Legal Clinic, RJ was appealing to the court for a more compassionate sentence than had already been imposed. Although the fines came from different pieces...