News

Leaders in the provincial justice system are working together to make the system better for Nova Scotians with the formation of the new Access to Justice Co-ordinating Committee.  Made up of seven members, the Committee came together to find ways to make Nova Scotia’s family, civil, and criminal court systems more efficient and effective as well as less costly and easier to navigate.

“This new Access to Justice Coordinating Committee gives us an opportunity to use a strategic, coordinated approach to act locally for equal justice,” said Robyn Elliott, president of the Canadian Bar Association for the Nova Scotia branch and committee member.  

The committee will act on recommendations outlined in reports released last year by the National Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters and the Canadian Bar Association. In the National Action Committee's report, A Roadmap for Change, the chair of the committee and Supreme Court of Canada Justice Thomas Cromwell stressed that improving access to justice is the biggest issue facing Canada's legal system.

The report also states that almost 12 million Canadians will face at least one legal problem in any given three years. Family law alone affects millions of people, usually during stressful times. This requires a system that operates in plain language, is easy to navigate, and gives people options that are less costly, and most appropriate to their needs.

Dean Kim Brooks states that she and the Schulich School of Law are honoured to be a part of this project.  ““Each pillar of our legal community has its role to play in this project. At the law school, our legal aid clinic and pro bono student projects have always been core to our mandate, and essential parts of our commitment to access to justice.”

To review the terms of reference for the committee, please visit http://novascotia.ca/just/resources.asp.