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w w w . c a n a d i a n l a w y e r m a g . c o m N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 35 Williams' colleague Allison Fenske co-authored the study: "Justice Starts Here: A One-Stop Shop Approach for Achiev- ing Greater Justice in Manitoba." One major gap in access was geographical. Many rural communities in Manitoba are with- out a lawyer and far from any permanent or circuit court. "The kind of bricks-and-mortar opportunities for people to seek out help just simply don't exist in a number of rural communities around our province," Fenske says. Technology provides opportunities to creatively close those gaps, using video-conferencing for example, but Fenske's report calls for better co-ordination of services, even connect- ing judicial services with social and health services. Dangerfield says Manitoba's standing committee on the professional code of conduct is considering whether to expand the professional obligation of a lawyer to facilitate increased access to justice, also including administrative impacts of the Jordan decision. "We have to earn it and I think our commitment to access to justice sends a message to the entire public that that the profession and our self-regulating entity is there for them and I don't think we can take that trust for granted," says Williams. Jonathan Abrametz, a personal injury lawyer with The Barrister Group, which has offices in Saskatoon and Outlook, Saskatchewan, says the insurance system in his province caus- es major issues for access to justice. In Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, the only option for car insurance is the provincial government. Since 1995, Saskatchewan's primary system for automobile insurance has been the no-fault model, in which both parties receive auto- matic compensation from the government insurer, Saskatch- ewan Government Insurance, regardless of who was at fault, with neither side having to sue for damages. There is the tort option in the province, but almost no one elects that route. The province's no-fault system has a glaring fault, says Abrametz. If a judge makes an error in awarding benefits to an injured person, even if that person is successful in the appeals process, the system prevents a just solution, he says. The injured person does not receive the full benefit unless they are awarded costs as well, which Abrametz says never happens. "The act itself has provisions for reimbursement of costs, but in practice, it just doesn't happen in Saskatchewan," he says. There are two streams available to appeal SGI decisions on injury benefits: the Court of Queen's Bench and the automobile injury appeal commission. "In practice, neither of those bodies have ever awarded for and never provided reimbursement of legal costs where a suc- cessful appellant was represented by a lawyer," he says. "This, to me, represents a barrier to accessing justice and accessing legal services. It's always irked me, like I said, that somebody who succeeds in correcting an SGI error . . . the cost of their success is imposed upon them," he says. Available risk-free for 30 days Online: store.thomsonreuters.ca Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 | In Toronto: 416-609-3800 Order # L7798-8671-65203 $89 Softcover October 2018 approx. 100 pages 978-0-7798-8671-5 Multiple copy discounts available Shipping and handling are extra. Price(s) subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. Get in-depth information for fi nding summer, articling, and associate positions, or for beginning non-traditional legal careers. This indispensable guide provides what you need to know about the National Committee on Accreditation rules process and provincial bar admissions rules, as well as timelines and hiring norms in various jurisdictions. Full of helpful tips and suggestions from an experienced legal recruitment professional, this publication also offers further career guidance with resources for creating strong applications, and links to important additional information for job searching. New Publication Canadian Legal Career Guide for International Law Students and Foreign Trained Lawyers Alison Cowan, J.D. © 2018 Thomson Reuters Canada Limited 00253FY-93751-NK KICKSTART YOUR CANADIAN LEGAL CAREER

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