The Role of the Children's Lawyer in Judicial Approval of Minor Settlements

• Author: Clare E. Burns, Linda Waxman, and Stephanie Giannandrea
• Pages: 123-146



TheRoleoftheChildrens

LawyerinJudicialApproval

ofMinorSelements

Clare E. Burns,* Linda Waxman, and

Stephanie Giannandrea

A. INTRODUCTION

InOntariocour tapprovalisrequired ofaselementagreeduponbya

litigationguardianonbehalfofaminororanotherpersonunderdisabil-

it yIndetermi ningwhethertoapproveaselementajudgemayormay

notseekassistancefromtheOceoftheChildrensLawyerRule

ofthe Rules of Civil Procedure providest hata judgemayd irectt hatthe

ChildrensLawyermakeanoralorwrienreportstatinganyobjections

heorshehastotheproposedselementandmakingrecommendations

withreasonsinconnec tionwiththeproposedselement

InpreparingareportunderRuletheChildrensLawyersroleis

toadvisethecou rtandtoma kerecommendationstoas sistthecourt in

theexerciseofitsparens patriae jurisdict ion

 PartnerWeirFouldsLLPOutsidethermsheisactivelyengagedi ntheprofes-

sionandbroadercommunit yShehasbeenadirectoroft heAdvocatesSocietya nd

vicepresidentoftheNationa lAssociationofP ublicTrusteesandGuardi ansClare

hastaughtestatesch ildrenslawandtrialadvocacyattheUniversit yofToronto

LawSchoolOsgoodeHallLawSc hoolandtheUniversit yofWesternOntarioLaw

School

 Rules of Civil ProcedureRRORegrRules of Civil Procedure

CEBLWSG

B HISTORY

 TheOceoftheChildrensLawyer

Thegovern mentof Ontario rst formally established the Oceof the

OcialGuardianintheJudicature ActofItsoriginwasintheparens

patriaejurisdictionexerci sedbyt helieutenant governorandlordch an-

cellorofUpperCa nadaoverthe estatesof infantsor otherperson sun-

abletomanaget heirownaai rswhichwas exercisedasea rlyas

Thisjuri sdictionenabledthelordc hancellortoappointmembersoft he

bartobeguardians ad litem ofchildreninvolvedinlitigation

TodaytheOce ofthe ChildrensLawyeroperates asan indepen-

dentlawoce within the Minist ryof the AorneyGeneral The Chil-

drensLawyer acts as a government ocial a Crown law ocer an

ocerof the court and a lawyer The name Ocial Guardian was

changedtotheChildrensLawyerininordertobeerreectthe

ocesmandateand to avoidconfusion with the publicg uardian and

trus teeCurrentstatutoryrecognitionoftheChildrensLawyerisfound

insectionoftheCourts of Justice Act althoughtheChildre nsLawyer

also nds her authority and jurisdiction in other stat utesthe Rules of

Civil Procedureand at commonlawBeginni ngin the role ofthe

ChildrensLawyershiedfromtheprotectionofminorsinterestsines-

tatesandcivillitigationtoincludetheprotectionofthepersonalrights

ofminorsinchildprotectionmaersorinrelationtocustodyandaccess

disputesarisingoutofdivorceorseparationEstatesandcivillitigation

stillaccountforasizeableproportionoftheocesles

AsaCrownlawocertheChildrensLawyerexercisessomeofthe

functionsoft heMinistr yoftheAorneyGeneralw ithinwhichshe op-

eratesincludingtheparens patriae jurisdiction

 WillsonAMcTavishQCTheOceoftheOcialGuard ianAdvo-

catesSocJNoatMcTavish

 Ibid.

 Ibid.

 ClareEBurnse t al.RoleoftheChildrensLawyerinBrianASch nurredEstate

LitigationdedlooseleafTorontoThomsonCa rswellReleaseatpara

Sch nu rr

 Courts of Justice ActRSOcCs

 Schnurrsupranot e

 NicholasBalaIstheJust iceSystemHelpingChildr enTheRoleofAdvocacy

PaperpresentedtotheWil lsonAMcTavishSymposiumALegacyforChildren

intheJusticeSystemTorontoNovemberunpublishedatBala