Western Law : An International Student

To what extent was Pierre Trudeau’s vision of a “just society” actually achieved in Canada in (and since) the 1970s? Canada is a just society because of the changes to women's legal rights, ethnic minority human rights, and multiculturalism.

Racial inequality inside of Canadian prisons is shocking and sometimes unbelievable when taken into account the percentage a minority group takes up in Canada’s overall population versus behind bars. The injustices against Canada’s First Nations people are unfortunately not just historic, as their mistreatment is still evident today. Despite representing only 3% of the population, First Nations account for about 25% of the prison population in provincial/territorial facilities. More specifically, 31% of the female population, and 22% of the male population were First Nations in 2015. More than one in five admissions to men’s prisons are of Aboriginal descent, and one in three in women’s prisons. Although it can be said that more and more attention has been drawn to this issue by citizens and politicians alike recently, First Nations people continue to suffer from poverty, injustice, and a lack of opportunities compared to the average Canadian citizen. About one in four native children live in poverty, leading to criminal activity, and eventually

More than ever people are losing access to justice. Even though the global economic crisis affected everyone, and every jurisdictions budget there needs to be a minimum level of funding for legal aid to protect the rights of those that cannot afford legal aid (Hainsworth, 2010). According to Hainsworth, (2010) the Canadian Bar Association has asked for national standards for legal aid, just like there are standards for health care and education. The CBA believes legal aid reform is needed to ensure access to justice for low income people, it also believes funding must be increased and national standards for eligibility and civil coverage are necessary to make the system function properly again.

Even though Canada is one of the most developed countries in the world, there are still major human right violations that occur on a regular basis. The most prominent violation that occurs is the violence and discrimination against the indigenous women who live in Canada. Native women are seen as less by others for multiple reasons, mainly because they are native, Canadian women whose ancestors have always lived there. Also, there are stereotypes, corruption, and racism in the police force. Even though this is a massive problem it is possible to stop if we raise awareness, provide recourses to victims, and fix governmental corruption. Overall with this monstourus problem looming over Canada there

Providing legal services to underserved communities can be both challenging and rewarding. I anticipate such a career after graduating from law school. My upbringing and experiences influence my desire to serve rural areas with limited access to legal services.

Mental Illness - The prisoner’s moral culpability for his offending is reduced by reason of his mental illness and the objective

Canada is perceived by other nations as a peace-loving and good-natured nation that values the rights of the individual above all else. This commonly held belief is a perception that has only come around as of late, and upon digging through Canadian history it quickly becomes obvious that this is not the truth. Canadian history is polluted with numerous events upon which the idea that Canada is a role model for Human Rights shows to be false. An extreme example of this disregard for Human Rights takes place at the beginning of the twentieth-century, which is the excessive prejudice and preconceived notions that were held as truths against immigrants attempting to enter Canada. Another prime example of these prejudices and improper

In the article ‘Public Reason and the Disempowerment of Aboriginal People in Canada’, written by Matthew Tomm, the author begins by providing a general perception towards the aboriginal perspective in the political and legal discussions through the use of a brief narrative. The author then transitions this background information into his argument surrounding this injustice. The author’s argument regarding the struggles of aboriginal people in Canada is clearly identified as a two-part statement. Part I features the obstacle of public justifiability, the idea utilized to actually justify the injustice towards the aboriginal people, defined by the author as “a central idea of contemporary political theory, which says that to be legitimate the laws of a democratic state should be justified to all its citizens” (Tomm 294). Part II illustrates the idea of public justifiability being at work in Canadian courts; regardless of their effort to implement the aboriginal perspectives into the legal system, their ambivalence is causing inefficiency and inconsistency. The author discusses the impact of the principle of public reason, the political liberal stance on the matter, the courts approach and handling of the normative dimensions of aboriginal perspectives, and the injustice of legal pluralism in regards to one being considered superior. All these ideas and events occurring within the law contribute to strengthening the author’s argument. In summary, the author’s argument surrounds

Canada today faces a major challenge when it comes to access to justice. The civil, criminal and family justice system has become very complicated, slow and extremely expensive for majority of Canadians. These issues are particularly glaring to low income earners, people with disabilities and other minorities. Canadian justice system have become incapable of providing solutions that can addressing problems brought to it. With the creation of the Canadian charter of right and freedom, access to justice became more of an equality issue. It moved from simply being the capacity to litigate, to the quality of outcome or outcome focused. While there have been efforts to reform the system, our courts continues to lack institutional structures that can address change and create a more equitable judicial system both in capacity and outcome.

From when I was ten until I was fifteen, I wanted to become a lawyer. I’ve always had impressive public speaking skills, a persuasive personality, and a knack for debate, so it seemed like the perfect fit for me. However, upon a taking a law class my sophomore year, I realized that lawyering might not be exactly what I expected it to be. As I learned about the different laws and the complexities of the court system I was

As a Legal Management Student who will soon be proceeding to Law, I have learn and realized so many things about being a lawyer when I finished reading the Color of Law by Mark Gimenez. When I was still a little child my dream was to become best lawyer so I can help those unfortunate people. I always thought being a lawyer is about helping, defending, and giving justice to my fellow Filipinos. I also thought that when I become a lawyer I can have lots of money to provide my needs and as to my family. I also thought that those lawyers were the best because they gamble their lives every day just to defend the citizens of its country. Then I have realized that it is just all in my imagination because in the

In a 2007 speech by Beverly McLachlin, the Supreme Court of Canada Chief of Justice, she stated that “access to justice promotes social stability” and also that “if people can’t get justice, they will have less respect for the law” (Eberts, 2013). By her words alone, the necessity and importance of legal aid is demonstrated. Socioeconomic status can put individuals at an unfair disadvantage in many aspects of life, especially in regards to legal proceedings. “Legal aid [was] introduced to Canada in the 1970’s” as a way of ensuring fair trial, and decreasing the frequency of common problems that result from misunderstanding of the law, unrepresented litigants and the power of money (Abell, 2010). However, like any tool or procedure used to improve society, there are always imperfections. Legal aid resources have become difficult to obtain financially and situationally, and the quality of this resource is often put into question. Without it, people and the justice system face consequences that need to be resolved in order to achieve the social stability that McLachlin speaks of.

I am a high school student at Monarch Park Collegiate, taking law. I am writing to express my concern about an innocent native-born Algerian who the Canadian government is going to be deported named Mohammad Harkat. Mohmmad Harkat has been unfairly and poorly treated under the Canadian law system. I learned about him threw a movie our law class watched, “The secret trail 5” witch highlights how Security Certificates are totally unfair and injustice full. The movie also highlights how Harkat was denied his rights and everything that happened to him that was injustice. Therefore, I think Mohammad Harkat is innocent, as his Canadian and human rights were affected. I

‘What kind of lawyer do I want to be’ is a very wide question open to a whole range of interpretations. Choosing to study Law at university almost certainly means becoming either a barrister or a solicitor will be the route to follow, but this choice as well as deciding whether to practice civil or criminal law is one which requires substantial thought. Having carried out work experience at my local Crown Court, and visited the Exeter Crown Court, it has impacted how I see my future. Additionally, my independent research coupled with seminar tasks in negotiation and advocacy have also helped to shape my decision. These experiences have brought to my attention a range of ethical concerns within the courtroom, however there are two issues in particular that have stood out. The first being cross-examination of vulnerable witnesses and defendants, for example, the elderly, rape victims, and children, and the second issue being legal aid and its impact. Learning about legal aid within the legal foundations course has opened my eyes to the struggle of the ‘ordinary person’ unable to obtain legal advice, and the significant, increasing divide between city firms advising corporate clients and the ‘high street firm’ advising the everyday citizen. Both of these issues have impacted on how I see my future as a lawyer.

Today, more than ever before, the legal profession offers a unique opportunities to dedicated individual to make a significant contribution to the society. This post is aimed at help you evaluate law as a career. It should give you a clear understanding of what to expect in your educational path to a law degree and the very significant financial expenses associated with obtaining a law degree.