Access to Justice: Home

There are various theoretical debates regarding the role of legal institutions, the legal profession, and individual lawyers in addressing the issue of access to justice in society. 

According to the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice, "Effective access to justice does not only refer to reductions in costs, access to lawyers and access to courts; but rather, it is a broad term that refers more generally to the efficaciousness of a justice system in meeting the dispute resolution needs of its citizens."

The issue of access to justice must be situated in its social, political, and economic context. What measures do the poor and vulnerable, the under-represented and the disadvantaged in society, have to enforce or defend their legal rights?