NEWS
4 Obiter Dicta
Diversity Key in Legal Resources
Let’s celebrate the diversity of Canadian families
on this Family Day
nabila khan & sabreena delhon ›
canadian forum on civil justice
I
n 2013, British Columbia’s Premier Christy
Clark established the province’s Family Day
holiday with a throne speech that celebrated
the diversity of Canadian families, “large and
small; same sex; culturally diverse; foster families and
adopted children; new Canadians coming to a new
world; a single mother caring for her young daughter; a son caring for his aging father.” As we approach
Family Day it is important to reflect on the reality that
with diverse families comes the need for informed
supports that appreciate and reflect that diversity.
For individuals dealing with problems relating to separation, child custody, shared property or
domestic violence, there are organizations that they
can turn to for social and psychological support. In
addition, these organizations also offer support for
the derivative legal aspects of those problems. These
organizations understand that familial issues are
part of everyday life and that these issues often have a
legal aspect that isn’t always readily apparent to most
Canadians.
Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) is
working to help Ontarians recognize and respond to
the legal dimensions of family-based problems with
their resource rich website, Your Legal Rights (www.
yourlegalrights.on.ca). The site coordinates practical
and easy-to-find legal information produced by hundreds of organizations across Canada. In addition to
family law matters, the website features information
t humbs UP
The 2015 Osgoode Ski Trip.
on potentially related topics including criminal law,
education law, employment law, housing law and
human rights. Your Legal Rights also features news,
events announcements and details about upcoming
public education webinars in Ontario.
Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG)
(www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca) also provides
free and accessible legal information. MAG’s clear language resources focus on family justice services such
as family arbitration, and processes for separation and
divorce. There is also up-to-date information about
how to access support from Family Law Information
Centres and organizations such as the Canadian
Paediatric Society.
Legal Aid Ontario (www.legalaid.on.ca) provides
details about numerous specialized legal clinics. These
clinics provide legal information, counseling and legal
representation to low-income individuals in need of
particular services. These clinics also work to reflect
the diversity of Ontario’s families by providing services such as multilingual interpretation.
The creation of a more accessible family law system
is a work in progress, but on this Family Day let’s
reflect on the great strides that have been made in our
province and across the country to reflect the diversity of our families. u
2015_Dean for a day ad_Obiter.pdf 1 27/01/2015 10:48:22 AM
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