Research Database

Partners in care: the benefits of community lawyers working in a hospital setting

This report details the findings from the evaluation of an Australian community legal clinic’s health and justice partnership project. The aim of the evaluation was to detail the extent to which the project is operating as intended, and to assess the impact of the health and justice partnership on the patients and the health professionals […]

Preventing Digital Exclusion from Online Justice

This report addresses issues of digital exclusion in the United Kingdom context, where courts are increasingly relying on technology, including the eventual establishment of certain online courts and tribunals by 2020. This includes a plan for an “assisted digital service” that would strive to make sure that everyone can use the reformed justice system by […]

Resolving legal problems: the role of disadvantage

This report is one of a series of reports analyzing data from a nation-wide survey conducted in Australia on legal capability. Researchers found a correlation between legal problem resolution, level of disadvantage, and legal capability. Specifically, disadvantaged Australians are more likely to experience legal problems and less likely to resolve their legal problems than other […]

The Digital Divide: Access to digital technology for people in custody

This Australian report canvasses the level of technology available to people in Australia. Western Australia’s Inspector of Custodial Services views technology for inmates as an important component to eventual reintegration, as it provides enhanced opportunities for education and also improves people’s ability to stay in touch with friends and family. However, their review concludes that […]

The Law Foundation of Ontario Connecting Region: Final Evaluation Report

This report summarizes the findings of an evaluation commissioned by the Law Foundation of Ontario on three projects they funded to help build the capacity of community workers to support people with legal problems. The projects aimed to improve access to justice for people who do not speak English or French, or who live in […]

Trusted Help: The role of community workers as trusted intermediaries who help people with legal problems

In 2016, the Law Foundation of Ontario retained a team of access to justice researchers to look into the scope of what community workers do to help advance access to justice for their clients. The Foundation’s goal was to learn how to better support community workers doing this work.

“Better Justice” or Shambolic Justice?: Governments’ Use of Information Technology for Access to Law and Justice, and the Impact on Regional and Rural Legal Practitioners

This report canvasses whether, in an environment where governments are increasingly automating legal processes, practitioners who serve rural and remote locations can truly better serve their clients. The enquiry underlying the report received more than 330 submissions from courts, academics, community legal centres, and key legal institutions and learned about the advantages and disadvantages to […]

2017 Justice Gap Report: Measuring the Civil Legal Needs of Low-income Americans

This report is an attempt to help measure the justice gap – the difference between civil legal needs of low-income Americans and their financial ability to meet those needs in 2017. Approximately 2,000 low-income adults were surveyed. Some of the findings in the report: “In the past year, 86% of the civil legal problems reported […]

A Journey to ReconciliAction: Calls to Action Report

This report describes an Indigenous justice initiative intended to build and strengthen relationships between a community legal clinic in Hamilton and the Indigenous community. The report also contains 16 recommendations for the clinic’s practice and outreach informed by 14 Calls to Action from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee. By sharing the report, the clinic aims […]

Accessible written information resources for adults with intellectual disability: compiling the evidence to inform good practice

This Australian report discusses the need to make written information sources more acceptable for adults with intellectual disabilities. The report discusses research being conducted by three Australian universities to investigate what constitutes truly accessible written information, and how such resources might be produced. The preliminary project report outlines: “1. The issues that need to be […]