The Law Society of Nunavut receives General Grants to support the advancement of Access to Justice for Nunavummiut
Wills and Estates Community Pilot Initiative
Objective
Through a collaborative initiative between the Law Society of Nunavut and Nunavut Legal Aid with financial support provided by the Nunavut Law Foundation and the Canadian Bar Association (Nunavut Branch), the pilot seeks to develop and deliver a workshop this summer with tools aiming to improve access to legal education on a topic of importance which can result in challenging circumstances after the passing of a family member or a loved one. The pilot will provide direct legal advice and support at no cost to community members. The pilot’s objective is to increase knowledge and understanding on Wills and Estates through a plain language public legal education workshop offered with interpretation and resources made available in both English and Inuktitut.
The community of Clyde River was chosen based on financial consideration and a list of suggested communities shared by Nunavut Legal Aid through knowledge-sharing from their Inuit Court Workers and staff lawyers.
Context
Through the Law Society’s Access to Justice Program launched in 2014 and its current lawyer referral system, the Law Society has gained first-hand knowledge of the challenges members of the public face to find a lawyer available to assist them, in particular those that live outside of Iqaluit.
Resources
The Law Society will post the resources developed as part of the pilot initiative by mid-October.
Meeting the legal needs of Nunavummiut through an improved lawyer referral system and increased access to supports.
The Law Society of Nunavut received a General Grant in May to support further research and provide recommendations for the development of an outcome-driven Nunavut Lawyer Referral System.
Objective
To better respond to the needs of Nunavummiut, there is a need to develop a Nunavut Lawyer Referral System that is evidence-based, adheres to best practices, is responsive to local needs and contributes to Access to Justice across the Territory.
Context
The Law Society initially conducted a membership survey followed by a jurisdictional scan. The latter found that Lawyer Referral Systems across Canadian jurisdictions (provinces only) vary significantly in practice. Jurisdictional variations include differences in how clients access services (online intake, telephone intake, or hybrid), the types of services clients can access (referrals only, legal advice), the length and cost of initial consultations (free, paid), and the extent of lawyer participation (self-service directory, lawyer consultation). These variations show that Lawyer Referral Systems are not standardized across provinces and underscore the importance of developing a Lawyer Referral System model responsive to Nunavut’s legal, geographic, and cultural context.
Report and Next Steps
A Report with recommendations will be submitted to the Board of the Nunavut Law Foundation in October. A copy of the Report will be posted online.
In collaboration with the Law Society of Nunavut, next steps will be posted online and may include a call to the Law Society membership for letters of intention. Further details will be posted by early November.