The Honourable, Thomas Cromwell, Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada spear-headed a nation-wide initiative to increase the public’s access to the civil justice system. The Committee envisioned “[a] society in which thepblic has the knowledge, resources and services to effectively deal with civil and family law matters:
- by prevention of disputes and early management of legal issues,
- through negotiation and informal dispute resolution processes, and
- where necessary, through formal dispute resolution by tribunals and courts.
Four working groups were established:
- Court Processes Simplification
- Access to Legal Services
- Family Law
- Prevention, Triage and Referral
Their reports and other documents related to the National Action Committee on Access to Justice can be found on the web site of the Canadian Forum and Civil Justice http://www.cfcj-fcjc.org/action-committee.