Public Confidence and the Civil Justice System: What Do We Know About the Issues?

The Canadian Forum on Civil Justice has been asked to develop a discussion draft concerning issues of public confidence in the civil justice system. We are providing an overview based primarily on a report we have already published: Public Perceptions of the Role of the Canadian Judiciary, which is available on line at http://www.cfcjfcjc.org/publications-cjsp.htm . This should not be considered a full response to all of the points and questions associated with “ Work Plan Development, Recommendation #2” of the Justice Policy Advisory Committee Public Confidence Subcommittee. A full response would require a focused research project, and perhaps should be considered as a further recommendation from this subcommittee

Talking with the Public: The Public, Communication and the Civil Justice System

The Canadian Forum on Civil Justice is a non-profit, independent organization dedicated to bringing together the public, the courts, the legal profession and government in order to promote a civil justice system that is accessible, effective, fair and efficient. One initiative of the Forum is the Civil Justice System and the Public, a multi-disciplinary, collaborative research program that begins with the widely accepted belief that there are significant barriers which prevent access to the justice system. One significant barrier is a lack of effective communication between the system and the public. While discussion has now started about how to improve the system, the public is generally unaware of the discussion, which means that they are not involved in the reform efforts and their needs and expectations are not being voiced. We have received significant funding from the Alberta Law Foundation for an Alberta pilot of this project ($110,000), and from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for the national study which will follow ($600,000)

The Alberta Legal Services Mapping Project: Report for the Fort McMurray Judicial District

The Fort McMurray Judicial District is the second of eleven Alberta Judicial Districts to be mapped as part of the Alberta Legal Services Mapping Project (ALSMP). The ALSMP is a large-scale, 4.5 year endeavour, designed to gain an understanding of the legal needs of Albertans and of the legal services available in Alberta

Reforming the family justice system initiative

Family breakdown is common and brings with it many challenges for parents and their children. These challenges are compounded by the current family justice system, which is adversarial in nature, complex and costly for families. Over the years, the justice community has tried isolated interventions to improve access to justice, and while these projects, reforms and programs have achieved some good, they have not created the system-wide change we desire. We’ve learned from past experience that the only way to bring about meaningful, systemic change is to have a broad collaboration of all the participants in the justice system come together to work collectively to create the change we desire. In the RFJS initiative, we are exploring systemic design processes to address complex problems through systemic change. This case study includes a description of the steps taken to bring together a collaborative alliance made up of approximately 200 individuals and organizations representing ten sectors that work within the broadly defined family justice system. Over the past year, we have held four workshops designed to build community and relationships among the collaborators; to gather information about the focus of concern within our collaborative alliance; to develop an understanding of systemic change and innovative lab processes; and to ensure that there is a shared commitment to change. The main technique and method used throughout this process was Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) developed by Sohail Inayatullah, a futures studies researcher. While our current family justice system is characterized by a focus on family breakdown and legal responses, the space created through CLA enables us to consider solutions that might exist entirely outside the current understanding. Additionally, the language of the mental model and Theory of Change help us to understand and talk about the system in new ways that are much more focused on helping families to thrive, and recognize that family justice issues are primarily social and relationship problems which contain a legal element. This initiative is increasing the knowledge and capacity for systemic change among all participants in the RFJS. We are building an awareness and understanding of innovative approaches, developmental evaluation and collaborative action that has not previously existed among these participants. This project is opening up a space to enable stakeholders (clients, families, and those who work within the system) to reframe the problems that they encounter in family justice. We are creating a culture of learning that allows us to learn as we go forward, and will support continued improvement in the family justice system

The Alberta Legal Services Mapping Project: Report for the Calgary Judicial District

The „justice system‟ is a fundamental and far-reaching component of our system of democracy in Alberta. It is not one united system but an institutionalized process to address criminal and civil conflicts. It is made up of a complexity of organizations with overlapping provincial and federal jurisdictions. There are substantive and procedural laws with four broad divisions: civil, family, criminal and administrative. Many of these laws and the legal services associated with them, function to avoid conflict and legal problems. Ideally, legal services work to resolve conflicts without resorting to the courts or tribunals, the purpose of which is to act as a final resort in cases of high conflict

Survey of children accessing HIV services in a high prevalence setting: time for adolescents to count?

OBJECTIVE: To establish the proportion of adolescents among children infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Zimbabwe who receive HIV care and support, and what clinic staff perceives to be the main problems faced by HIV-infected children and adolescents. METHODS: In July 2008, we sent a questionnaire to all 131 facilities providing HIV care in Zimbabwe. In it we requested an age breakdown of the children (aged 0-19 years) registered for care and asked what were the two major problems faced by younger children (0-5 years) and adolescents (10-19 years). FINDINGS: Nationally, 115 (88%) facilities responded. In 98 (75%) that provided complete data, 196 032 patients were registered and 24 958 (13%) of them were children. Of children under HIV care, 33% were aged 0-4 years; 25%, 5-9 years; 25%, 10-14 years; and 17%, 15-19 years. Staff highlighted differences in the problems most commonly faced by younger children and adolescents. For younger children, such problems were malnutrition and lack of appropriate drugs (cited by 46% and 40% of clinics, respectively); for adolescents they concerned psychosocial issues and poor drug adherence (cited by 56% and 36%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Interventions for the large cohort of adolescents who are receiving HIV care in Zimbabwe need to target the psychosocial concerns and poor drug adherence reported by staff as being the main concerns in this age group

Addressing the Needs of Self-Represented Litigants in the Canadian Justice System

How can the Canadian justice system better assist self-represented litigants (SRLs) with their legal needs? There is a service gap that exists in the Canadian justice system between what SRLs need and what is currently being provided. The system needs to better address how SRLs understand, avoid, manage and resolve their legal issues. While the entire justice system has a role to play in understanding and addressing this question, courts and court administrators in particular have a central role to play. Some important efforts have begun to address the needs of SRLs. However, major challenges persist in providing adequate court services to SRLs

Addressing the Needs of Self-Represented Litigants in the Canadian Justice System

How can the Canadian justice system better assist self-represented litigants (SRLs) with their legal needs? There is a service gap that exists in the Canadian justice system between what SRLs need and what is currently being provided. The system needs to better address how SRLs understand, avoid, manage and resolve their legal issues. While the entire justice system has a role to play in understanding and addressing this question, courts and court administrators in particular have a central role to play. Some important efforts have begun to address the needs of SRLs. However, major challenges persist in providing adequate court services to SRLs

STEM Instructor Motivations for Collaborating with Librarians in Instruction

Scaffolding STEM information literacy competencies through the undergraduate curriculum is a best practice for librarians, connecting to student success. These connections rely heavily on the instructor to collaborate with librarians. What motivates instructors to collaborate with librarians? This session will present the results of a survey of instructors in a multi-section STEM first-year seminar course at an urban research university. Instructor attitudes, perceptions, and practices around collaboration and integration of information literacy competencies will be explored. Presenters will engage the audience to think about their own course integrations as well as strategies and best practices for increasing collaboration

College Students as Facilitators in Reducing Adolescent Obesity Disparity in Southern Appalachia: Team up for Healthy Living

The proportion of obese adolescents in Southern Appalachia is among the highest in the nation. Through funding from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities — National Institutes of Health, the Team Up for Healthy Living project was a cluster-randomized trial targeting obesity prevention in adolescents through a cross-peer intervention. The specific aims of the project were to: 1) develop a peer-based health education program focusing on establishing positive peer norms towards healthy eating and physical activity (PA) among high school students, 2) test program efficacy, and 3) explore mechanisms underlying the program. The study was guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, which presupposes that human behavior is primarily driven by attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and social support. To deliver the intervention, undergraduate students from the disciplines of public health, nutrition, and kinesiology were hired as peer facilitators. Ten area high schools were invited to participate, were matched on demographics and then randomized to intervention or control. The primary outcomes of the study included body mass status, dietary behaviors, PA, and sedentary behaviors which were assessed at baseline and at three and twelve months post baseline. Intervention schools received Team Up for Healthy Living curriculum, which consists of eight 40-minute sessions. The curriculum focused on improving nutrition awareness, PA, leadership and communication. Control schools received their regularly scheduled Lifetime Wellness curriculum. The long-term goal of the study was to establish an effective academia–community partnership program to address adolescent obesity disparity in Southern Appalachia