Canadian Forum on Civil Justice.

• Author: Lowe, Diana J.

In 1995, the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) formed a Task Force on the Systems of Civil Justice "to inquire into the state of the civil justice system on a national basis and to develop strategies and mechanisms to facilitate modernization of the justice system so that it is better able to meet the current and future needs of Canadians" (from the Foreword to the Task Force Report). The Task Force concluded that the central issues affecting access to the civil justice system are delay, costs associated with proceeding in the civil courts, and lack of understanding of the civil justice system. The Task Force recommended the creation of an independent organization to encourage participation from all groups involved in civil justice reform and to facilitate the exchange of information and experience in civil justice reform. The Canadian Forum on Civil Justice was established on the basis of that recommendation through a joint initiative of the Canadian Bar Association and the University of Alberta, Faculty of Law.

Mission Statement

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. This relatively simple statement defines something that is really quite a timely and exciting undertaking. We are at a turning point in our civil justice system, where all of the legal disciplines are becoming aware of the need for reform and open to sharing information and working together toward those reforms. The Forum is able to assist in bringing these groups together to advance the body of knowledge. At the same time, our goal is to clarify and communicate this knowledge so that the public can understand and become more involved in civil justice reform. We want to ensure that the citizen is at the centre of our justice system.

Civil Justice Clearinghouse

The start-up of our Civil Justice Clearinghouse has been a primary focus for the Forum. The purpose of the Clearinghouse is to provide a resource for everyone who is interested in our civil justice system. We have decided to take advantage of technology in order to create a collection that is accessible throughout Canada by everyone with an interest in our civil justice system. We have established a website that is the embryo of what will mature into a valuable resource on civil justice, and which can...