Legal Aid Service Delivery in Rural and Remote Communities across Canada: Issues and Perspectives in the Context of COVID-19
Bibliography
Part A: Studies, Articles
Abramowicz, Lenny. "The Critical Characteristics of Community Legal Aid Clinics in Ontario." Journal of Law and Social Policy 19. (2004): 70-81 https://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/jlsp/vol19/iss1/5
Baxter, J. & Yoon, A. “No Lawyer for a Hundred Miles? Mapping the New Geography of Access of Justice in Canada”. Research Paper No. 74 Vol. 10/ Issue. 16/ (2014) “What is access to justice?” Osgoode Hall Law Journal, 52(1). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2513871
Beaudet-Centomo, Chloé and Nancy Leggett-Bachand, Justice Pro Bono. Clinique juridique bénévole au Nunavik Puvirnituq et Salluit - Mai 2019. Rapport et observations de Justice Pro Bono p. 4. https://justiceprobono.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/10/rapport-justice-pro-bono-puvirnituq-et-salluit-2019.pdf
Bilson, Beth, Brea Lowenberger and Graham Sharp, “Reducing the ‘Justice Gap’ Through Access to Legal Information: Establishing Access to Justice Entry Points at Public Libraries”. Windsor Yearbook on Access to Justice 99, 2017 CanLIIDocs 49, https://canlii.ca/t/790
Burnett, Matthew (Open Society Justice Initiative) and Marlon Manuel (Legal Empowerment Network), eds. Providing legal services remotely: a guide to available technologies and best practices. 2021. https://namati.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Providing-Legal-Services-Remotely_A-Guide-to-Available-Technologies-and-Best-Practices.pdf
California Commission on Access to Justice. Improving Civil Justice in Rural California. September 2010. https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/accessJustice/CCAJ_2010__FINAL_2.pdf?ver=2017-05-19-133105-073
Canada. Statistics Canada. “Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletin”. [Ottawa]: Statistics Canada. 2015. Canada. Statistics Canada. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/21-006-x/2008008/section/s2-eng.htm
Canadian Bar Association, “What do we Want? Canada’s Future Legal Aid System: Backgrounder on National Legal Aid Benchmarks” (2015). https://www.cba.org/getattachment/Sections/CBA-Access-to-Justice-Committee/Resources/Resources/2015/What-Do-We-Want-Canada%E2%80%99s-Future-Legal-Aid-System-e/Benchmarks_Backgrounder.pdf
Canadian Bar Association. No Turning Back: CBA Task Force Report on Justice Issues Arising from COVID-19. (2021). https://www.cba.org/CBAMediaLibrary/cba_na/PDFs/Publications%20And%20Resources/2021/CBATaskForce.pdf
Canadian Bar Association Access to Justice Committee. Study On Access to the Justice System – Legal Aid. (2016). https://www.cba.org/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=8b0c4d64-cb3f-460f-9733-1aaff164ef6a
Canadian Forum on Civil Justice. Rural & Remote Access to Justice: Application Research (2015). Prepared for the Rural and Remote Access to Justice Boldness Project.
Canadian Forum on Civil Justice. Rural & Remote Access to Justice: A Literature Review (2015). Prepared for the Rural and Remote Access to Justice Boldness Project.
Currie, Ab. The Community Being Helped is the Resource that is Needed to Extend Access to Justice to the Community. For Canadian Forum on Civil Justice (August 2020). The-Community-Being-Helped-Is-the-Resource-That-is-Needed-Ab-Currie.pdf (cfcj-fcjc.org)
Cohl, Karen and George Thomson, Connecting Across Language and Distance: Linguistic and Rural Access to Legal Information and Services (Toronto: Law Foundation of Ontario, December 2008)
Council of Canadian Academies Waiting to connect: The Expert Panel on High-Throughput Networks for Rural and Remote Communities in Canada. (2021). https://cca-reports.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Waiting-to-Connect_FINAL-EN_digital.pdf
Cross, Pamela and Michael Leering, Paths to Justice: Navigating with the Wandering Lost - Providing Access to Justice in Rural and Linguistic Minority Communities in South-Eastern Ontario. (Toronto: The Law Foundation of Ontario. (2011). https://communitylegalcentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/PathsToJusticeFinalReport2011.pdf
Fenske, Allison, Beverly Froese. Justice Starts Here: A One-Stop Shop Approach for Achieving Greater Justice in Manitoba. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Manitoba. November 2017. https://mra-mb.ca/publication/justice-starts-one-stop-shop-approach-achieving-greater-justice-manitoba/
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Rural women and access to justice: FAO’s contribution to a Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) half-day general discussion on access to justice. (Geneva, 18 February 2013). https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/HRBodies/CEDAW/AccesstoJustice/FAO.pdf
Giddings, Jeff, Barbara Hook and Jennifer Nielsen. Legal Services In Rural Communities: Issues for clients and lawyers. Alternative Law Journal, Vol. 26, No.2, April 2001. http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AltLawJl/2001/20.pdf
Government of British Columbia. (2021). Connectivity in BC. www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc
Haight, Michael. Revisiting the digital divide in Canada: The impact of demographic factors on access to the Internet, level of online activity, and social networking site usage. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263307792_Revisiting_the_digital_divide_in_Canada_The_impact_of_demographic_factors_on_access_to_the_internet_level_of_online_activity_and_social_networking_site_usage
International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy (ICCLR). Enhancing Access to Justice for Women Living in Rural and Remote Areas of British Columbia: Reviewing Practices from Canada and Abroad to Improve Our Response. Eileen Skinnider and Ruth Montgomery. (2019) BCLF-WA2J-Report-Final.pdf (icclr.org)
Justice Canada. Evaluation Branch. Internal Audit and Evaluation Sector. Evaluation of the Legal Aid Program Final Report (2021). https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/cp-pm/eval/rep-rap/2016/lap-paj/lap-paj.pdf
Justice Pro Bono. Justice Pro Bono in Nunavik. https://justiceprobono.ca/en/nunavik KPMG. (2019). BC Connectivity Report: Broadband Connectivity for Rural Communities in BC. Prepared for Northern Development Initiative Trust. Northern Development. www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2019-BC-Connectivity-Report_FINAL_WEB.pdf
Lapkin, Andrii. The problems of access to justice in rural areas (on the example of Ukraine). SHS Web of Conferences 68, 01018 (2019) https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20196801018
Law Council of Australia. The Justice Project Final Report – Part 1: Rural, Regional and Remote (RRR) Australians. August, 2018. https://www.lawcouncil.asn.au/files/web-pdf/Justice%20Project/Final%20Report/Rural%20Regional%20and%20Remote%20%28RRR%29%20Australians%20%28Part%201%29.pdf
Law Foundation of Ontario. Fueling legal help for rural and remote communities. July 13, 2021
Leering, Michele, Librarians and Access to Justice Outreach: Project Report and Resources, for Community Advocacy and Legal Centre, October 2015, p. 14. www.communitylegalcentre.ca/news/2015/librarians-and-access2justice-report.pdf.
Legal Aid BC. Online Training for Community-Based Intermediaries: Survey Findings and Implications Community and Publishing Services Legal Services Society. October 2019. https://legalaid.bc.ca/sites/default/files/2020-03/cpsIntermediaryOnlineTrainingSurveyFindingsOctober2019.pdf
Legal Aid Queensland. "Technology Brings Justice to Rural and Regional Queensland"; (2003) 5(28) Indigenous Law Bulletin 20. http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/IndigLawB/2003/69.html
Leiser, Mathiew. “Des juristes bénévoles viennent en aide aux communautés du Nunavik, dans le Nord québécois. Regard sur L’Arctique. 20 février 2020. https://www.rcinet.ca/regard-sur-arctique/2020/02/19/des-juristes-benevoles-viennent-en-aide-aux-communautes-du-nunavik-dans-le-nord-quebecois/
Link, Dustin, Bonita Mwunvaneza and Tanner Schroh. Improving Access to Civil and Family Legal Services in Rural Saskatchewan. The sixth Annual Dean’s Forum on Access to Justice and Dispute Resolution, March 6, 2018. Improving Access to Civil and Family Legal Services in Rural Saskatchewan. https://law.usask.ca/documents/research/deans-forum/AccessinRuralSaskatchewan-PolicyDIscussionPaper.pdf
Maclaren, Jamie. Access to Justice in Rural and Remote Communities: Where to From Here? Slaw, May 6, 2011. https://www.slaw.ca/2011/05/06/access-to-justice-in-rural-and-remote-communities-where-to-from-here/
Malcomson, John. Voices from the Field: Needs Mapping Self-Help services in Rural and Remote communities (British Columbia: Supreme Court Self-Help Information Centre), 2008 at p. 11.
Manitoba Law Reform Commission. Electronic Witnessing of Affidavit Evidence: Final Report. (2020 http://www.manitobalawreform.ca/pubs/pdf/140-full_report.pdf)
Murray, Kate M. Digital Equity in Access to Justice: A Review of Literature May 2021. https://legalaid.bc.ca/sites/default/files/2021-07/KMurray%202021%20ADE%20Literature%20Review-Full%20Report-FINAL.pdf
Murray, Kate M. Achieving Digital Equity in Access to Justice: Final Report, October 2021. https://legalaid.bc.ca/sites/default/files/inline-files/Murray_2021_LABC_Achieving_Digital_Equity_Final_Report_0.pdf
Pruitt, Lisa. “Gender, Geography and Rural Justice”. Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice, 13, 338 (2008). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1103559
Research and Statistics Division and Legal Aid Directorate, Dept of Justice Canada, 2021, Legal Aid in Canada 2019 – 2020. https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/aid-aide/1920/docs/RSD_RR2021_Legal%20Aid%20in%20Canada%202019-20.pdf
Roil, John F. External Review of Legal Aid in Newfoundland and Labrador, Volume 1. St. John’s: Government of Newfoundland, March 2014.https://www.gov.nl.ca/jps/files/publications-pdf-legal-aid-review-march2014.pdf
Rural and Remote Access to Justice: A Boldness Project. A Call to Action for Inclusive Justice: Our Journey. (2017).
Spain, Larry. “The Opportunities and Challenges of Providing Equal Access to Justice in Rural Communities.” William Mitchell Law Review 28.1 (2001). https://open.mitchellhamline.edu/wmlr/vol28/iss1/5
Statistics CanadaAlberta Law Foundation June 30. (2019). Table 22-10-0112-01 Activities related to digital skills by age group and highest certificate, diploma or degree completed (Canadian Internet Use Survey (CIUS)) (2018). https://doi.org/10.25318/2210011201-eng
Statz, Michele, Hon. Robert Friday, Jon Bredeson, C. ‘They Had Access, But They Didn’t Get Justice’: Why Prevailing Access To Justice Initiatives Fail Rural Americans”. Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy Volume XXVIII, Number 3, Spring 2021, 321. https://www.law.georgetown.edu/poverty-journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/07/321-02-Statz-Friday-Bredeson-Access-to-Justice.pdf
Stevenson, Flora. Remote Legal Services to Low-Income Albertans: Challenges and Best Practices. Final Report. Alberta Law Foundation June 30, 2021. https://albertalawfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/RemoteLegalServicesinAlbertaReportJuly122021.pdf
Tim Roberts and Associates. Helping People Navigate the Justice System: An Evaluation of Community Partners (Part 1) Legal Aid BC (2022). https://legalaid.bc.ca/sites/default/files/2022-02/Evaluation-of-Community-Partners-Report-Part-1-%28Jan2022%29_0.pdf
Tim Roberts and Associates. Helping People Navigate the Justice System: An Evaluation of Community Partners (Part 2) Legal Aid BC (2022). https://legalaid.bc.ca/sites/default/files/2022-02/Evaluation-of-Community-Partners-Report-Part-2-%28Jan2022%29_0.pdf
Tsui, Emily (2020) COVID-19’s Impact on the Administration of Justice in Canada’s Arctic. The Arctic Institute. Center for Circumpolar Security Studies. https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/ COVID-19-impact-administration-justice-canadas-arctic/
Wendt, S., Bryant, L., Chung, D., & Elder, A. “Seeking help for domestic violence: Exploring rural women’s coping experiences: State of the Knowledge Paper”. Landscapes: State of the Knowledge, 4. 2015. Alexandria, NSW: Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety. https://www.anrows.org.au/publication/seeking-help-for-domestic-violence-exploring-rural-womens-coping-experiences-state-of-knowledge-paper/
Part B: Jurisdictional Information
British Columbia
PovNet (2021) "Find an Advocate Tool" (Resource to find advocates for people who need legal assistance outside of Vancouver): https://www.povnet.org/find-an-advocate.
Legal Aid BC https://lss.bc.ca/legal_aid/legalAidLocations_Map (An interactive map of various types of community-based or outreach services, some of which would qualify as legal clinics.)
Clicklaw. https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/helpmap/service/1019 (A listing of family justice centres in B.C.) Family Justice Counsellors do not provide representational services. Rather they are…"specially trained to help families with parenting arrangements, contact with a child, guardianship, and support issues. They can help parents resolve disagreements without going to court. They provide short-term counselling, mediation, emergency and community referrals and other free services."
Access Pro Bono. https://accessjustice.ca/public/apbclinics.asp?province=BC Contact info for 114 clinics in the province, most of which are included in the above sites. Also see wills clinic info at https://accessprobono.ca/our-programs/wills-clinic, and residential tenancy https://www.accessprobono.ca/our-programs/residential-tenancy-program.
Description of these and other services available to women in remote/rural areas in B.C. is also available on pp. 27-41 of Skinnider, Eileen and Ruth Montgomery. International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy (ICCLR). Enhancing Access to Justice for Women Living in Rural and Remote Areas of British Columbia: Reviewing Practices from Canada and Abroad to Improve Our Response. (2019) BCLF-WA2J-Report-Final.pdf (icclr.org).
Alberta
Law Central Alberta: https://www.lawcentralalberta.ca/en/help/legal-clinics-and-services. This is a listing of all clinics not just in central Alberta, but throughout the province. Includes student-based clinics in Calgary and Edmonton as well.
Saskatchewan
Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan: Listing of 14 free legal clinics across the province: https://pblsask.ca/free-legal-clinics/
Manitoba
Legal Aid Manitoba. Listing of 12 Community Law Centres: https://www.legalaid.mb.ca/contact/community-law-centres/, see, for example, University of Manitoba Community Law Centre https://www.legalaid.mb.ca/services/services-we-provide/criminal/u-of-m-community-law-centre/
Ontario
Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO): A Directory of Community Legal Clinics in Ontario (includes both geographic community legal clinics and specialty community legal clinics (e.g., Black Legal Action Centre, Injured Workers Community legal Clinic) https://www.cleo.on.ca/sites/default/files/book_pdfs/ontario.pdf
Annual reports of individual community clinics usually contain some demographic information about clients.
Quebec
Under "find a centre", lists community justice centres in each region: https://www.justicedeproximite.qc.ca/en/centres/quebec/
Annual reports of individual community clinics in each region contain fairly consistent demographic information about users, e.g., type of contact (telephone, in-person), how heard about the centre, income level, age, level of education, gender, region, type of legal inquiry, language, e.g., for Quebec city: https://www.justicedeproximite.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Rapport_annuel_CJPQC_2019-Sansmarques-compressed.pdf or for Mauricie: https://www.justicedeproximite.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Rapport_annuel_CJP-Mau_2019-compressed.pdf
New Brunswick
There is no specific information that supports outreach to remote locations in New Brunswick. Two locations for legal aid delivery are:
Fredericton legal advice clinic: http://frederictonlegaladviceclinic.ca/
New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission (criminal and some family) http://www.legalaid-aidejuridique-nb.ca/home/. The Commission’s strategic plan is listed here, but does not address delivery to remote locations: Strategic-Plan-strategique-2021-2024.pdf (legalaid-aidejuridique-nb.ca).
Nova Scotia
Clinics are generally for legal info and advice. Actual legal aid representation through legal aid offices listed here: https://www.nslegalaid.ca/legal-aid-offices/
Selected service stats are contained in the 2019-2020 Annual report at pp 19-21, 24, 29, 32 and 35-36: https://www.nslegalaid.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2019-20-Annual-Report-Approved-September-18-2020.pdf
Prince Edward Island
No clinic program. Legal aid locations can be found here: https://pe.211.ca/result/legal-aid-division-legal-aid-63737817
Newfoundland and Labrador
Legal aid locations can be found here: https://www.legalaid.nl.ca/contact.html
Yukon
No clinic program. Legal aid services are described at the following website of Yukon Legal Services Society: https://legalaid.yk.ca/
Northwest Territories
Legal Aid clinics are described in the 2019-2020 Annual Report of the Legal Aid Commission of the Northwest Territories at pp 18 and 29 in the following link. Selected service statistics are contained on pp 22-27. https://www.justice.gov.nt.ca/en/files/legal-aid-commission/Annual%20Reports/2019-2020%20Annual%20Report.PDF
Nunavut
The three Nunavut legal aid clinics are described here: http://nupli.ca/index.php/legalaid
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