Submission to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights on the Study on Access to the Justice System

On April 14, 2016, West Coast LEAF’s Executive Director and Director of Litigation appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in Ottawa to offer our expert perspective on the barriers to women’s access to justice in Canada.

West Coast LEAF was invited to share our expertise on these issues as part of the Committee’s Study of Access to the Justice System. Our submission called for increased civil legal aid funding and for a robust Court Challenges Program to support legal challenges defending equality rights, among other important measures. Read our full submission.

The Justice Committee was receptive to several recommendations made by West Coast LEAF to strengthen the Court Challenges Program.  In its report, the Committee accepted our key recommendation that the program be expanded in scope to include equality challenges to provincial and territorial laws where the case in question will have national impact.