Steps to Justice Criminal What does Gladue mean? What is a Gladue or Indigenous Peoples Court? What is Indigenous Diversion? Are bail hearings different if I’m Indigenous? Is sentencing di...

The Society for Children and Youth of BC (SCYBC) recently published a series of research papers on child capacity in the context of children’s participation rights [Note 1]. The papers examine capacity generally and in four specific contexts: health care, mental health, family law, and child welfare and adoption. Why does this matter? Traditionally, we have tended to assume that a child must first demonstrate sufficient “capacity” before being permitted to meaningfully participate in decisions affecting their life. And capacity has often been assessed primarily through the lens of cognitive ability. The SCYBC reports challenge both assumptions. I found them . . . [more] The post Busting Myths About Children’s Capacity to Meaningfully Participate appeared first on Slaw.

“The Access to Legal Services Boulder Was Never the Point” BC Day 2025 Origins Like many things Amici Curiae Friends of Court (AC) does, it starts with my waking up one morning and thinking to myself, hmmm, I think we could do better improving the services we provide British Columbians. BC Day 2025 was no different. For many of us who are working in the access to justice ecosystem, solving these complex issues can feel Sisyphean. Sisyphus was a legendary king who was condemned by Zeus and the gods eternally for his cleverness, to repeatedly roll a heavy rock up . . . [more] The post Access to Legal Services: From Sisyphean Quest to a Sustainable Community appeared first on Slaw.

Federal funding helps Province advance Stanton Report recommendations

You must bring valid photo ID to have a document notarized.The lawyer can only notarize documents during your 15-minute appointment. They can't help fill out forms or give you legal advice.Walk-Ins are welcome, if time permits. Dates of upcoming clinics: July 3rd August 7th September 4th October 2nd

Many generative AI tools are relatively easy to access and use. For example, no technical expertise is required to pull up and type a prompt into ChatGPT, and the most basic version is free. This reality has led to a significant amount of “shadow AI” use within organizations; that is, uses of AI that are not formally approved or are even contrary to formal policies. Concerns about shadow AI commonly arise in the context of private companies, with some studies indicating that over 80% of workers report using unapproved tools at work. Much less discussed – and worthy of far . . . [more] The post Shadow AI: A Growing Problem for Canadian Courts appeared first on Slaw.

You must bring valid photo ID to have a document notarized.The lawyer can only notarize documents during your 15-minute appointment. They can't help fill out forms or give you legal advice.Walk-Ins are welcome, if time permits. Dates of upcoming clinics: July 3rd August 7th September 4th October 2nd

The growth of self-representation in all adjudicative settings may ultimately require a new approach to adjudication that is even more fundamental than a root and branch overhaul of procedure and practice. What legislators and courts may need to consider is the development of forums that are focused on and limited to adjudicating cases involving SRLs. Such courts would channel cases involving SRLs into a specific forum where court participants, including the adjudicator and court staff and any required wrap-around services, would exclusively plan for and engage with litigants who do not have legal representation. One such experiment has been underway . . . [more] The post Imagining a Possible Future: Self-Represented Litigant Courts appeared first on Slaw.

Arizona lawyers — and self-represented litigants — may face sanctions if they submit AI-generated briefs citing nonexistent cases. KJZZ reports the Arizona Court of Appeals issued the warning after a probate litigant admitted using generative AI without verifying citations. Possible sanctions include contempt, dismissal, fines, or attorneys’ fees. For legal teams, the point is blunt:

With the help of a Responsive grant by The Law Foundation of Ontario, CanLII is leveraging AI to expand access to legal research.

Artificial intelligence is making its way into courtrooms around the world, and not always for the better. Judges have been caught embedding AI-generated fictitious case references in judicial decisions, in Canada and internationally; and there are no doubt other, more subtle, machine delusions slipping into case law undetected. Judicial misuse of AI tools has profound consequences for the administration of justice and for public confidence in the courts. But a less obvious threat also deserves our attention: a growing body of research indicates that large language models (LLMs) have a homogenizing effect on writing and analysis, meaning that judges’ . . . [more] The post Resisting the Echo Chamber: AI-Assisted Judgment Writing and the Risk of Homogenization appeared first on Slaw.

The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia was released on May 15th to much press and discussion. For many, it was a relief that a significant and precedent-setting case sought to tackle a pervasive and insidious social problem: intimate partner violence. There will no doubt be much commentary on the substantive content of the case, the scope of the tort of intimate partner violence, the manner of its proof in family law cases, and the implications for individual litigants going forward. However, there is another thread weaving through the fabric of this case in its journey from . . . [more] The post Issues of Self-Representation in a Landmark Decision: Reflecting on Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia appeared first on Slaw.

You must bring valid photo ID to have a document notarized. The lawyer can only notarize documents during your 15-minute appointment. They can't help fill out forms or give you legal advice.Walk-Ins are welcome, if time permits. Dates of upcoming clinics: June 18 June 25 (Evening) July 16 August 20