Canadian Lawyer

w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m M A Y 2 0 1 5 11 \ AT L A N T I C \ C E N T R A L \ P R A I R I E S \ W E S T REGIONAL WRAP-UP " Frankly it's been a surprise, JDR has taken on a life of its own in Ukraine," enthuses Oleg Shakov about the success of a Canadian-backed program to introduce judicial dispute resolution to Ukraine. Shakov is director of international programs for an arm of the Department of Foreign Affairs, one of the agencies that has helped Canadian lawyers and judges go to Ukraine to demonstrate the advantages of JDR. Ukraine currently faces external threats and internal politi- cal challenges. At the same time, it is struggling to improve and modernize its sometimes creaky legal system. That is why the federal government and the non-government National Judicial Institute partnered on a project to showcase Canada's version of JDR in Ukraine. JDR, which varies slightly from province-to- province, involves the resolution of civil disputes, with the active help of a judge before those matters get into a courtroom. Typi- cally it saves time, reduces costs, and can result in better, more flexible outcomes. The Judicial Education for Economic Growth Project was look- ing for Canadian judges and lawyers versed in JDR. That is why the organizers paid special attention to Saskatchewan, the only province in Canada where judge-led, pre-trial settlement conferences are mandatory and to Manitoba where they are optional, but popular. As many as 80 per cent of civil cases in the province are settled through what Manitoba calls judge assisted dispute resolution. Of course if the judges happened to have a Slavic background, so much the better. So it is not surprising that among those recruited (as volunteers) to take the JDR message to Ukraine were Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench Justice Ted Zarzeczny and Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench Justice Donald Bryk. Zarzeczny Continued on page 12 Delivering legal aid to Ukraine's justice system P R A I R I E S Justice Donald Bryk and colleagues in Ukraine promoting JDR. From one team of professionals to another, when you or your clients are talking audit, tax and advisory solutions, the right counsel is essential. With offices from coast to coast, Collins Barrow professionals offer you the insights and opinions you need, combined with objective, actionable advice, to help maximize opportunities in virtually every area of business. For clear-cut expert advice, call Collins Barrow. Clarity that goes beyond Every reasonable doubt

• Cover