Canada's Trial Courts

Canada's Trial Courts
Author: Peter H. Russell
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2007-01-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 080209323X

One of the most important but least examined aspects of the Canadian judicial system is the dual structure of civil and criminal trial courts. Canada's Trial Courts examines the co-existence, in every province, of superior courts (presided over by federally appointed judges) and 'lower' courts (staffed by provincially appointed judges). Combining both political and legal analysis, this is the first book to provide an in depth study of the evolution and operation of Canada's trial courts. This collection of essays begins with an exploration of the constitutional origins of Canada's integrated court system and the failure of federal and provincial governments to cooperate in its development. Following are discussions of a number of contemporary reform projects in various jurisdictions, including Quebec, Nova Scotia, Alberta, and Nunavut, as well as examinations of competing visions of how Canada's trial courts should be organized in the future. To put the issue in a comparative perspective, the concluding section provides examples of how trial courts have been restructured in the United Kingdom and the state of California. Proposing a range of practical alternatives to the present system, the volume offers a ground-breaking legal analysis that addresses constitutional obstacles to trial court reform, and assesses the political factors that influence reform at the judicial level. Featuring distinguished contributors from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, Canada's Trial Courts offers a comprehensive and up-to-date examination of an important but neglected issue that ultimately has a profound impact on the quality of justice that Canadians experience.

Middle Income Access to Justice

Middle Income Access to Justice
Author: M. Trebilcock
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Total Pages: 577
Release: 2012-05-03
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1442660619

Though most conceptions of the rule of law assume equality before the law – and hence equal access to the justice system – this basic right is not being met for many low and middle income Canadians. This book focuses on the problem of civil access to justice for middle income earners – those whose household income is high enough to disqualify them from legal aid but not high enough to cover the costs of litigation. Featuring contributions by leading Canadian and international scholars, practitioners, and members of the judiciary, this multidisciplinary collection draws on scholarship in the fields of law, social science, and public policy. There is a particular emphasis on family law, consumer law, and employment law, as these are the areas where research has indicated that unmet legal needs are highest. Middle Income Access to Justice presents a variety of innovative solutions, from dispute resolution process reforms to the development of non-lawyer forms of assistance and new methods for funding legal expenses. In doing so, it lays the foundation for the development of a much-needed new delivery model to provide early intervention for legal services.

Asia-Pacific Legal Development

Asia-Pacific Legal Development
Author: Gerry Ferguson
Publisher: UBC Press
Total Pages: 624
Release: 1998-11-01
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9780774806732

In this age of globalization many legal experts see evidence of swift global movement toward an eventual single "world legal system." Yet, the trend to political and economic integration in some parts of the world is matched by the trend to disintegration in others, where strong cultural and political resistance to external influences exists. Asia-Pacific Legal Development traces current and prospective developments in several legal systems of the Asia-Pacific region to make sense of these trends and counter-trends. The contributing authors represent a wide variety of specialist expertise, both "public" and "private," and together they encompass the three sectors that constitute a modern system of formal law: the economic, the behavioural, and the civic. Taking into account the opinions and perspectives of both indigenous and non-indigenous experts on topics ranging from prostitution to constitutional law, the book surveys how several ASEAN nations, as well as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, are confronting social, economic, and legal change. In the first three parts, chapters are grouped along general sectoral lines to cover economic, civic, and behavioural themes, while in the fourth, cross-sectoral contexts are addressed. With the introduction and concluding chapter, the editors provide an overall integrating framework as well as provocative insights into trends in legal development in the Asia-Pacific region, and on comparative legal research and writing in general. Asia-Pacific Legal Development is not only an exemplary model for cooperative and comparative legal research and scholarly pluralism, but also a rich study of the increasingly relevant issue of convergence and divergence of legal systems, with a unique Asian focus.

The Responsive Judge

The Responsive Judge
Author: Tania Sourdin
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 347
Release: 2018-07-06
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9811310238

This book focuses on the changing role of judges in courts, tribunals, and other forums across a variety of jurisdictions. With contributions by international experts in judicial administration and senior judicial figures, it provides a unique comparative perspective on the role of modern judges in a rapidly evolving environment and the pressures of effective judicial administration. The chapters are sourced from a Collaborative Research Network focused on innovations in judging, and sponsored by the international Law and Society Association. The book provides essential insights and perspectives for judges, judicial officers, and administrators, allowing them to respond to the challenges of the twenty-first century. It is also a valuable resource for legal practitioners and judicial experts, shedding light on the role of the modern judge and the strategies they employ.

Lawyers in 21st-Century Societies

Lawyers in 21st-Century Societies
Author: Richard L Abel
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 832
Release: 2020-04-02
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1509915168

The world's legal professions have undergone dramatic changes in the 30 years since publication of the landmark three-volume Lawyers in Society, which launched comparative sociological studies of lawyers. This is the first of two volumes in which scholars from a wide range of disciplines, countries and cultures document and analyse those changes. The present volume presents reports on 46 countries, with broad coverage of North America, Western Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia, North Africa and the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and former communist countries. These national reports address: the impact of globalisation and neoliberalism on national legal professions (the relationship of lawyers and their professional associations to the state and tensions between state and citizenship); changes in lawyer demography (rapidly growing numbers and the profession's efforts to retain control, the entry of women and obstacles to full gender equality, ethnic diversity); legal education (the proliferation of institutions and pedagogic innovation); the regulation of lawyers; structures of production (especially the growth of large firms and the impact of technology and paraprofessionals); the distribution of lawyers across roles; and access to justice (state-funded legal aid and pro-bono services). The juxtaposition of the reports reveals the dramatic transformations of professional rationales, labour markets, and working practices and the multiple contingencies of the role of lawyers in societies experiencing increasing juridification within a new geopolitical order.

My Life in Crime and Other Academic Adventures

My Life in Crime and Other Academic Adventures
Author: Martin L. Friedland
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Total Pages: 537
Release: 2015-05-27
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1442629789

Since his call to the Bar in 1960, Martin L. Friedland has been involved in a number of important public policy issues, including bail, legal aid, gun control, securities regulation, access to the law, judicial independence and accountability, and national security. My Life in Crime and other Academic Adventures offers a first-hand account of the development of these areas of law from the perspective of a man who was heavily involved in their formation and implementation. It is also the story of a distinguished academic, author, and former dean of law at the University of Toronto. Moving beyond the boundaries of conventional memoir, Friedland offers an extended meditation on public policy issues and significant events in the field of law, discussing their historical impact and predicting the course of their future development. Given his personal experience, there is no other person more suited to discuss these hugely important issues. Friedland puts the law and legal institutions into a wider context, looking at the role of personalities, politics, and pressure groups in the establishment of laws that continue to have tremendous importance for Canadians. My Life in Crime and other Academic Adventures reflects upon a life devoted to education, scholarship, and the law, and is an insider account of public policy issues that have come to shape life in this country in the twentieth century and beyond.

Ethical Principles for Judges

Ethical Principles for Judges
Author: Canadian Judicial Council
Publisher:
Total Pages: 56
Release: 1998
Genre: Law
ISBN:

This publication is the latest in a series of steps to assist judges in carrying out their onerous responsibilities, and represents a concise yet comprehensive set of principles addressing the many difficult ethical issues that confront judges as they work and live in their communities. It also provides a sound basis to promote a more complete understanding of the role of the judge in society and of the ethical dilemmas they so often encounter. Sections of the publication cover the following: the purpose of the publication; judicial independence; integrity; diligence; equality; and impartiality, including judicial demeanour, civic and charitable activity, political activity, and conflicts of interest.

The Justice Crisis

The Justice Crisis
Author: Trevor C.W. Farrow
Publisher: UBC Press
Total Pages: 369
Release: 2020-09-01
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0774863609

Unfulfilled legal needs are at a tipping point in much of the Canadian justice system. The Justice Crisis assesses what is and isn’t working in efforts to strengthen a fundamental right of democratic citizenship: access to civil and family justice. Contributors to this wide-ranging overview of recent empirical research address key issues: the extent and cost of unmet legal needs; the role of public funding; connections between legal and social exclusion among vulnerable populations; the value of new legal pathways; the provision of justice services beyond the courts and lawyers; and the need for a culture change within the justice system.

Canadiana

Canadiana
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 1466
Release: 1991
Genre: Canada
ISBN: