There are obstacles to getting legal advice for some Canadians, which the organizer of Saskatchewan’s Access To Justice Week calls the justice gap. Brea Lowenberger is also the Director of CREATE Justice. She explains that for those in need there is legal aid and then the higher end for earners can afford full legal services, but for low to middle income earners who make too much for legal aid, that’s the justice gap.

Other obstacles include a lack of fluency in English, physical distance from justice services and distrust of legal institutions.
There is help out there, though. Lowenberger calls the statistics staggering. Recent research indicates that on average, Canadians only get help from lawyers for about 11 per cent of their legal issues. She suggests beginning your search for help with the Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan, which provides free legal information.

Lowenberger believes there is momentum to advancing improved access in Saskatchewan, with many organizations and individuals committed to doing so.

Access To Justice Week includes webinars on a variety of issues like doing your own legal research, advancing community-based access to justice, and systemic racism.

Click here to find out more about the webinars.