This research involved both a literature review and telephone interviews with one or more respondents from each province/territory. Respondents were either directly involved in or had oversight of delivery of legal services in rural and remote areas of their jurisdictions.
Legal services clients in rural and remote areas are predominately Indigenous persons, males with criminal law matters, seniors, and women with family law matters.
The most common legal problems for these groups are criminal and family law-related, followed by housing/landlord-tenant issues and other poverty law matters.
Difficulties associated with living in rural and remote locations include lack of connection to the Internet or ability to use it, lack of income to afford the necessary technology to engage with legal services, and lack of physical spaces or locations such as public libraries in which to use technology near their place of residence.
The lack of public and private transportation in almost all jurisdictions is a primary obstacle to problem resolution.
Partnerships with social, health and mental health organizations are essential for providing necessary services in rural and remote areas.
Use of Public Legal Education and Information (PLEI) services (either online or in agency/public libraries) is often limited by users’ ability to use technology and undertake research.
The challenges to the provision of services in rural and remote areas are the lack of resident lawyers and judges, and availability of effective modalities for communicating with clients in lieu of face-to-face meetings.
Despite the rapid adoption of technological solutions as a result of pandemic measures, providing services to technologically-challenged individuals in rural and remote areas will continue to require either in-person or low-tech (e.g., telephone or video) communication mechanisms.
