CIAJ In All Fairness - ICAJ En toute justice

In this episode, David Lazzam hosts a compelling discussion with Vincent Ramsay, a retired family law attorney, and Nicholas Bala, a professor specializing in family and children’s law. Together, they delve into the history of Canada’s adversarial family law system and its profound impacts on families and children. Their engaging dialogue highlights the contrasting roles of “peacemaker” and “hired gun” lawyers, while offering educational and policy reform suggestions to promote a more collaborative, child-focused approach to family law. The episode also provides concrete advice for practitioners and policymakers aiming to reshape the family justice landscape.   RELATED DOCUMENTATION Article: Ending the Harm to Parents and Children from Ontario’s Family Justice System by Transforming Family Law Culture: Reflections of a Family Law Lawyer - Vincent Ramsay (2024 CanLIIDocs 2300, 2024-07-01) Article: Ethical Duties of Lawyers for Parents Regarding Children of Clients: Being a Child-Focused Family Lawyer - Nicholas Bala, Patricia Hebert & Rachel Birnbaum (The Canadian Bar Review, 2027)

Dans cet épisode, Qurat-ul Ain, étudiante, invite le professeur Alexandre Lillo, enseignant en droit à l'UQAM, à explorer un sujet novateur : le lien entre la pédagogie alternative et l'accès à la justice. Ensemble, ils plongent au cœur des méthodes d'apprentissage non traditionnelles, comme l'apprentissage par le jeu, et leur impact sur la formation des futurs juristes. Le professeur Lillo partage ses techniques pédagogiques audacieuses et innovantes. Une discussion inspirante sur la façon dont l'enseignement peut transformer le droit et ouvrir de nouvelles perspectives.   Invité Dr. Alexandre Lillo, professeur, Département des sciences juridiques, Université du Québec à Montréal Dr. Alexandre Lillo est professeur au département des sciences juridiques à l’Université du Québec à Montréal où il enseigne notamment le Droit de l’environnement et le Droit international de l’environnement. Il est titulaire d’un doctorat en droit de l’Université Montpellier et de l’Université d’Ottawa, et a occupé le poste de chercheur postdoctoral au sein du Centre de droit public de cette dernière. Professeur Lillo est l’auteur de plusieurs publications couvrant des sujets variés tels que le droit de l'eau, la gouvernance environnementale, le droit des jeux vidéo et l'apprentissage par le jeu. Animatrice Qurat-ul Ain, étudiante, Université de Montréal; ancienne membre, comité étudiant de l'ICAJ Qurat-ul Ain est ancienne membre du comité étudiant de l’ICAJ. Elle poursuit un JD à l’UdeM depuis l'automne 2024, après avoir complété un baccalauréat en droit à l'UQÀM. Qurat s’intéresse aux questions de pédagogie juridique et aux expériences des étudiant.e.s issu.e.s des groupes méritant l’équité dans un programme de droit. Ayant travaillé dans le milieu communautaire et auprès de personnes en situation de vulnérabilité, elle s’intéresse également aux différentes formes que peut prendre l’accès à la justice.

In this episode, host Christine O’Doherty is joined by special guests Tina Parbhakar, Amy Schwab, and Jane Morley, K.C., to explore the Transform the Family Justice System Collaborative, an innovative initiative in British Columbia, launched in 2022. As key contributors to this groundbreaking user-centred initiative, the guests share their insights on efforts to redesign the family justice system. Together, they discuss strategies for enhancing child and youth participation, fostering cross-sector collaboration, using developmental and transformational evolution approaches and developing creative solutions for families. Their conversation offers a deep dive into the ongoing collective impact work to make family justice more accessible, inclusive, and responsive.    RELATED DOCUMENTATION National Justice Education Society website (that is being updated for re-launch in early 2025): https://familieschange.ca/ Visit transformfamilyjusticebc.ca. Any feedback is welcome, which can be sent to [email protected] 2024 Annual Conference on “Families and the Law”: Webpage: https://ciaj-icaj.ca/en/upcoming-programs/2024-annual-conference/ Program: https://ciaj-icaj.ca/wp-content/uploads/events/2022/05/brochure_2024-annual-conference_en.pdf Registration form: https://www.imakeanonlinedonation.org/ciaj-icaj/P333/

David Lazzam, CIAJ's articling student, welcomes back Diana Lowe and Justice Rod Jerke to delve into the power of storytelling in driving systemic change within family law systems. Together, they discuss how narratives can serve as catalysts for transformation while revisiting the progress and new direction of the Reforming the Family Justice System (RFJS) initiative.   RELATED DOCUMENTATION Book: "The Power of Story: On Truth, the Trickster, and New Fictions for a New Era" by Harold R. Johnson Video: During the Grande Prairie “Family Well-Being” Symposium held in February 2024, a mock hearing was recorded, which demonstrates the underlying approach in the RFJS, explains why this pilot is needed and highlights the community readiness that underpins this new approach to family practice. We encourage you to watch the edited (33 min) recording of that mock hearing: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/8p16z70nc1egddmatr6md/AOfB9jxcmOMHE13PtF7DZTQ?e=2&preview=RFJS_Courtroom+Scene_V3.mp4&rlkey=y6trgu433dhe8vnur9pk14rk2&st=8egc5yof&dl=0 Video: This video is based on the same facts, but demonstrates how applications are likely to proceed once the Notice to the Profession & Public is in effect, if indeed an application is even needed. https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/rD5deJJxKrHJb928oTDotDoYEaHITTrQPHbc91ioVS2OoDWTF1b7IE538wECQ2jk.L1udnl_8tfffFiis Passcode: p.AsXM=0 Video: Justice Rod Jerke and Diana Lowe, KC were invited to speak to the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary on October 12, 2023 and a video of that presentation is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ5AfWBYrhU 2024 Annual Conference on “Families and the Law”: Webpage: https://ciaj-icaj.ca/en/upcoming-programs/2024-annual-conference/ Program: https://ciaj-icaj.ca/wp-content/uploads/events/2022/05/brochure_2024-annual-conference_en.pdf Registration form: https://www.imakeanonlinedonation.org/ciaj-icaj/P333/ Podcasts: Three-part series on “Family Law Reform”: Episode #48: Family Law Reform Part I: The Right to a Good Life – With guest Diana Lowe, K.C. (Justice System Consulting at Re-imagining Justice and Co-Lead of the RFJS) Episode #49: Family Law Reform Part II: Brain Science, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Resilience – With guests Nicole Sherren, PhD (Principal Consultant & Founder, R2P Solutions) and Diana Lowe, K.C. (Justice System Consulting at Re-imagining Justice and Co-Lead of the RFJS) Episode #50: Family Law Reform Part III: It’s All About the Children – With guests The Honourable Justice Rodney A. Jerke (Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta) and Diana Lowe, K.C. (Justice System Consulting at Re-imagining Justice and Co-Lead of the RFJS)