Red Dress Day

by | May 3, 2024 | Access to Justice, Law Society of Manitoba, MMIWGS2+, Self-Representing Litigants

If you or someone you know needs immediate mental and emotional wellness support, call The National Inquiry into MMIWG2S Toll-Free Support Phone: 1-844-413-6649

Sunday, May 5 is The National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Peoples, more commonly known as Red Dress Day, inspired by the 2010 REDress Project created by Métis artist Jaime Black.

In the 2019 report, Reclaiming Power and Place, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls recommends Calls For Justice. Under Calls for Attorneys and Law Societies (pg. 194, 10.1(iii)), the report makes the request that:

All courts must have a staff position for an Indigenous courtroom liaison worker that is adequately funded and resourced to ensure Indigenous people in the court system know their rights and are connected to appropriate services.

Although we are not court staff, Manitoba Law Library would like to honour the Calls for Justice by providing legal information and direction to legal resources to those who need them.

Community Legal Education Association has a phone line and dedicated email address to provide prompt legal information and referrals to resources.

Family Law For Children

A booklet designed by CLEA to help children cope with the family court process. Topics include: Separation of parents; Living arrangements; Family violence; Blended Families.

wood love people woman

Divorce

Understand the requirements for obtaining a divorce as well as the difference between divorce and annulment.

person in white long sleeve shirt and black pants

Parenting Arrangements

Introduces the concepts of parenting time and decision-making responsibility in family law. Topics include how parenting arrangements are decided; what happens if a parent or guardian wants to move with a child; how the child’s wishes are considered; and contact by non-parents.

child holding hand of another person

Right to Counsel by Jennifer Dunik

“Once young persons become involved in the justice system there is an obligation to make sure that their rights are fully protected. The right to retain and instruct counsel is one of the most important rights.”

themis figurine at lawyers office

Advice on navigating courtroom procedure as self-representing litigant.

Indigenous People and the Criminal Justice System / Jonathan Rudin
[A print copy is available in the Manitoba Law Library.]

“Indigenous people are the most over-represented population in Canada’s criminal justice system. Their experiences within the system are interwoven with issues of colonialism and discrimination. Indigenous People and the Criminal Justice System, 2nd Edition, examines these issues and their impact to provide lawyers and judges with a deeper understanding of this area of the law.”

“Legal Aid Manitoba (LAM) works to ensure that eligible Manitobans have access to justice, including those who are disadvantaged and facing a well-resourced individual or entity in court”

“If you have a concern about your lawyer’s conduct you may want to file a complaint. Lawyers who do not practise competently or in compliance with the Law Society’s high standards of ethical conduct may be subject to an investigation and/or discipline.”

Access to Justice Week 2022

by | Oct 21, 2022 | Access to Justice, Law Society of Manitoba, Self-Representing Litigants

The National Access to Justice Week is taking place from October 24 to 28.

The Law Society of Manitoba has partnered with the Manitoba Bar Association and the University of Manitoba for the third annual National Access to Justice Week and will offer four free virtual events open to the public. See here for more info or view all the events on our Calendar.

The University of Manitoba Faculty of Law along with the Law Society has also created an Access to Justice blog.
“The site will highlight developments related to access to justice from across Canada, with an emphasis on those relevant to Manitoba.  Assistant Professor Gerard Kennedy has initiated the blog in collaboration with Natasha Brown, Access to Justice Coordinator at the Law Society of Manitoba. This joint initiative of Kennedy and Brown will host posts on at least a weekly basis authored by themselves and law students, along with occasional posts from other law professors and access to justice stakeholder organizations within Manitoba.”
Click here to view the most recent posts.

For even more events, The Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters has national online events posted on their events page.

If you wish to learn more about Access to Justice, the Manitoba Bar Association has a useful list of Agencies that help provide services and information on equal access to justice.

Law Library Hub Returning

by | Oct 19, 2022 | Access to Justice, Law Library Hub, Self-Representing Litigants

This October we are excited to see the return of our pilot program, The Law Library Hub.

First offered in February 2020, the Hub was a drop-in program to provide legal information and assistance to members of the public who were struggling with dealing with the courts. Since then, the program changed as pandemic restrictions affected in-person meetings. Currently the Hub will be operating on an alternating schedule of in-person and virtual appointments.

Under the supervision of a practising lawyer, law students will be available to provide assistance in the Great Library at the Winnipeg Courthouse on Wednesday mornings between 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Appointments can be booked using the form available here.

See our Hub page for more information, as well as resources for self-representing litigants.