Ontario's eighth annual Access to Justice week successfully engages attendees and ignites conversation about the legal needs of Canadians

TORONTO, Nov. 3, 2023 /CNW/ - The eighth annual Access to Justice Week (A2J Week) in Ontario took place from October 23 to 27, featuring a series of programs centered on the "10th anniversary of Canada's Justice Development Goals" to celebrate the progress made in advancing access to justice and assess the work that lies ahead. The week kicked off with a sunrise ceremony performed by Indigenous Elder Myeengun Henry.

Over 3000 attendees participated in over 30 virtual and in-person programs hosted in Ontario and across Canada. This week was an opportunity to reflect on a decade of the Justice Development Goals and to create meaningful commitments and action plans for the next ten years to continue challenging systemic barriers, to innovate, and to ensure a just, effective and accessible justice system for all. Other highlights of the week included sessions about systemic racism and marginalization in the legal sector, how to develop and implement cultural humility and empathy in practice, the ongoing challenges faced by women in the legal professions and the impact of virtual hearings post-pandemic, among other topics.

"I thank everyone who took part in A2J Week – as a participant, a presenter or an organizer," said Jacqueline Horvat, Treasurer of the Law Society of Ontario. "The level of engagement demonstrated in each conversation and the commitment to finding solutions across the legal professions, not-for-profit and judicial sectors leaves me optimistic that new avenues for Ontarians to access legal assistance are underway or will be very soon."

In addition to opportunities for legal professionals, this year's programming featured four public-facing workshops designed to answer legal questions and inform the public about their legal rights to help break down barriers faced by those accessing the justice system.

Resources:

• Recordings of A2J Week sessions will be made available at LSO.ca/theactiongroup in the coming days.
• Photos of the sunrise ceremony are available for download from the Law Society's Media Room.
• More details on Access to Justice and the week's events are available in this Backgrounder.

Ontario's A2J Week is hosted by TAG: The Action Group on Access to Justice in collaboration with the Law Society of Ontario and justice sector partners. TAG was established by the Law Society of Ontario in 2015 to facilitate better coordination and collaboration across the justice sector. With support from the Law Society of Ontario and the Law Foundation of Ontario, TAG works with a range of justice stakeholders to develop meaningful, public-centred solutions that advance systemic change.

The Law Society regulates lawyers and paralegals in Ontario in the public interest. The Law Society has a mandate to protect the public interest, to maintain and advance the cause of justice and the rule of law, to facilitate access to justice for the people of Ontario and to act in a timely, open and efficient manner.

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SOURCE Law Society of Ontario

Media contact: Cristina MacKenzie, Communications Advisor, External Relations and Communications, [email protected]