In 2009, Dr Ab Currie undertook a major study of the legal needs of Canadians. In doing so, he replicated studies that had been carried out in other jurisdictions including Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Currie and colleagues then looked at the monetary and non-monetary costs of these problems for individuals and the state.
The current discussion about meeting the PLE needs of the general public can be found in recent documents dealing with legal capability.
Generally, though, in PLE we do not speak of the general public. It has been our collective experience, that legal needs vary considerably on the basis of such factors as age, level of education, jurisdiction, socio-economic factors, country of origin, languages spoken, and the like. So we tend to speak of ‘publics’ and identify which particular sector we are seeking to serve. We then assess their particular needs and develop PLE responses accordingly.
Documents of interest: Canadians’ legal problems
Curry, Ab (2009) Currie – Legal Problems of Everyday Life
Farrow, T. (2016) Everyday Legal Problems and the Cost of Justice in Canada – Overview Report