Two weeks ago we highlighted the work of Vancouver’s Paralegal Litigation Users Group in the creation of a 200-page manual for SRLs using the BC Supreme Court (https://representingyourselfcanada.com/2015/02/03/access-to-justice-is-access-to-information-guide-to-civil-litigation-for-bc-srls-launched/). There continue to be impressive efforts to enlarge resources and enhance access to information for the self-represented. Newfoundland and Labrador has just launched a searchable database of their Court of Appeal cases (http://court.nl.ca/supreme/appeal/decisions.html), a huge project that illustrates the importance being placed by Chief Justice Derek Green on improving resources for SRLs (and implementing one of Justice Cromwell’s recommendations: http://www.cfcj-fcjc.org/sites/default/files/docs/2013/AC_Report_English_Final.pdf).
“The Court continues to improve its services. It continues to become more transparent and accessible,” says Chief Justice Green. You can read the news story here http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2015-02-09/article-4037383/Appeal-court-database-now-searchable/1
In the next month, NSRLP will be launching a 30-page manual and accompanying video entitled “Using the Can Lll Search Engine: A How-To For Self Represented Litigants”. NSRLP adopts an open source policy for all our resource material in order to promote universal free access and redistribution, including subsequent improvements and modifications.
We would encourage all those working on SRL resource material in the public – and even private? – sector to consider adopting the same approach. If you have any SRL resources in any media form that you have recently launched or are working on, please let us know so that we can promote them and (with your permission) link them to the NSRLP website.