Episode 93 | Telling a New Family Law Story
CIAJ In All Fairness - ICAJ En toute justice
Release Date: 09/26/2024
#117 | Série Justice sans obstacles - Le langage clair : un levier d’accessibilité
CIAJ In All Fairness - ICAJ En toute justice
Ne pas connaître ses droits revient souvent à en être privé. Et ne pas les comprendre, c’est, au fond, se retrouver dans la même situation. Alors entre le droit et les personnes qu’il est censé protéger, une question demeure : comment rendre cette information réellement accessible? Parmi les réponses possibles, le langage clair s’impose comme un levier d’accessibilité. Dans cet épisode, Me Christine O’Doherty, directrice générale de l’ICAJ, s’entretient avec Élisabeth Routhier, Ph. D., directrice des projets spéciaux à l’ICAJ et experte du...
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#116 | Justice Without Barriers Series - Disability, Accessibility, and the Courts
CIAJ In All Fairness - ICAJ En toute justice
Universal accessibility should be the norm — so why does it remain the exception? In this episode, Sarah Rowe, Legal Counsel at CIAJ, speaks with the Honourable Justice Joshua B. Hawkes of the Court of Appeal of Alberta about the lived realities of people with disabilities within the justice system and the legal profession. Drawing on his own experience as a person living with a disability, Justice Hawkes reflects on the biases, institutional barriers, and day-to-day challenges faced in environments rarely designed with all realities in mind. Together, they explore what...
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#115 | Indigenous Justice and Democracy: Tap Project, Perspectives From Ecuador and Canada
CIAJ In All Fairness - ICAJ En toute justice
When courts listen, justice systems can begin to change. Hosted by Christine O’Doherty, Lawyer and CIAJ Executive Director, this episode features Dr. Jhoel Escudero, President of the Constitutional Court of Ecuador, in the context of the Technical Assistance Partnership (TAP) Project led by Federal Judicial Affairs Canada. Dr. Jhoel Escudero discusses why the TAP Project was timely for Ecuador’s justice system and how sustained dialogue with Indigenous communities has shaped institutional understanding. The discussion touches on the constitutional recognition of Indigenous justice,...
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#114 | Dans l’angle mort – Épisode 4 : L’intelligence artificielle et la justice
CIAJ In All Fairness - ICAJ En toute justice
L'IA s'invite désormais dans les salles d'audience et les cabinets d'avocats. Mais comment fonctionne-t-elle réellement ? Quels sont ses usages concrets, de la recherche juridique à la gestion documentaire ? Peut-elle améliorer l'accès à la justice ou créera-t-elle de nouvelles inégalités ? Dans ce 4ᵉ épisode de la série « Dans l’angle mort », l’honorable juge Simon Ruel s’entretient avec Catherine Régis, professeure titulaire à la Faculté de droit de Université de Montréal, pour explorer l'arrivée de l'IA dans le système judiciaire. Entre promesses...
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#113 | Left Out in the Cold – Episode 4: Putting "Housing First" in Finland
CIAJ In All Fairness - ICAJ En toute justice
Finland, renowned for being the happiest country in the world, has addressed homelessness head-on through a human rights-based approach to housing. Under the Finnish "Housing First" approach, everyone is entitled to a settled place to live, regardless of life circumstances. This system moves away from the goal of making people experiencing homelessness "housing ready," and toward supportive housing units with normal leases and tenancy agreements. In the fourth episode of this series, host Sarah Rowe is joined by Juha Kahila, Head of International Affairs at Y-Foundation, one of the...
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#112 | Left Out in the Cold – Episode 3: Housing Available But Not Accessible
CIAJ In All Fairness - ICAJ En toute justice
Guaranteeing the right to housing on its own misses a key overlapping concern: whether the housing is actually accessible. Despite the federal government's goal of achieving a barrier-free Canada by 2040, many people continue to face barriers in securing housing that meets their accessibility needs and are twice as likely to live in core housing need. In the third episode of this series, host Sarah Rowe is joined by Marie-Josée Houle, Canada's first Federal Housing Advocate, and Stephanie Chipeur, who holds the Azrieli Accelerator Professorship in Law & Disability Policy at the...
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#111 | Left Out in the Cold – Episode 2: Advancing the Right to Housing while Financialization Pulls the Strings
CIAJ In All Fairness - ICAJ En toute justice
In 2019, the Canadian government recognized housing as a fundamental human right through the National Housing Strategy Act; however, in the years that have followed, housing affordability has only worsened for low- to moderate-income households. While this Act requires the federal government to address homelessness and core housing need, Canadian housing policies continue to benefit primarily those seeking profit and returns on investment. In this second episode, host Sarah Rowe is joined by lawyer Michèle Biss, Executive Director of the National Right to Housing Network, and political...
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#110 | Teaching Law in the Age of AI
CIAJ In All Fairness - ICAJ En toute justice
Artificial intelligence is reshaping legal education — but is it a powerful learning tool or a shortcut that weakens critical thinking? In this episode, Host David Lazzam speaks with Dean Trevor Farrow (Dean and Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School) about the growing use of AI in law schools. Together, they explore the tension between innovation and academic integrity, the fear of overreliance, and the responsibility of legal institutions to prepare students for a profession where AI is already part of daily practice. CONFERENCE Artificial Intelligence and the Law In March 2026,...
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#109 | Épisode 3: Dans l’angle mort – Le litige climatique sous l'angle des droits de la personne
CIAJ In All Fairness - ICAJ En toute justice
Les changements climatiques deviennent un enjeu central de droits humains. Dans ce 3ᵉ épisode, l’honorable juge Simon Ruel s’entretient avec Maud Sarlieve, responsable du Secrétariat du Forum de recherche sur le climat (Programme de droit durable d'Oxford), sur la montée du contentieux climatique et ses tensions avec la séparation des pouvoirs. Ensemble, ils explorent des affaires emblématiques : Urgenda aux Pays-Bas, les Aînées pour le climat en Suisse, les jeunes plaignants du Montana, ainsi que l’avis consultatif historique de la Cour internationale de justice en 2025. Quel...
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#108 | Democracy Under Attack: The Rise of Online Hate
CIAJ In All Fairness - ICAJ En toute justice
Online harassment of political figures in Canada is on the rise. Nearly half of campaign-related tweets are uncivil or abusive, discouraging diverse candidates and eroding trust in democracy. In this episode, Host Anthony Giroux (Law Student at the University of Montreal) speaks with Sabreena Delhon (CEO of the Samara Centre for Democracy) and Dr. Heidi Tworek (Canada Research Chair and Professor of History and Public Policy at the University of British Columbia). Together, they explore how disinformation, targeted and identity-based harassment, and algorithm-driven amplification are reshaping...
info_outlineDavid 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)