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Alberta Justice, courts embark on major IT overhaul THE WEST T he Alberta Ministry of Justice and the courts are embarking on a years- long journey that will see its information man- agement system over- hauled. The justice innova- tion and modernization of services initiative, or JIMS, started in 2007 and will be made up of multiple projects spanning several years. Its goal is to develop more efficient and stream- lined business processes, supported by modern technology, to expand the min- istry's ability to provide new initiatives and programs, improve access to justice, and strengthen the justice system. JIMS executive director Stephen Bull says, "JIMS is a major initiative that will result in significant benefit to Albertans. Working collaboratively with key stake- holders, especially the courts, will be the key to its success. The considerable time spent in planning the JIMS initiative will ensure the final road map is achievable and provides maximum benefit." Under JIMS, the ministry and courts will examine their day-to-day activities, such as how they receive materials and what they do with them, in order to ensure the materials and business pro- cesses meet the ministry and the courts' needs and are not outdated or redun- dant. "This might result in changes to ser- vices currently provided to make them more efficient or user-friendly. It might also result in the addition of new servi- ces. While many of the changes will be completely internal and mostly invisible to anyone who does not work in the min- istry or the courts, the improvements will be felt in increased efficiency and time savings that benefit individuals involved with the justice system," says Bull. He says once new business processes have been identified, the ministry and courts will invest in a new technical system to sup- port their work and pos- sibly automate a number of processes. Some of the key goals of JIMS are: • to harmonize and optimize business processes within the ministry; • to work internally to develop new tools to monitor efficiency and performance; • to implement new technical systems that can meet the current and future needs of Albertans; • to make it easier for the public to access information about the justice system in a manner that is convenient for them; and • to improve the sharing of information with the ministry's partners in the justice system. — DIANE L.M. COOK dianecook@shaw.ca LEGAL AID CHANGES DON'T IMPRESS I n April, Alberta's Ministry of Justice introduced several new Legal Aid Alberta pilot projects designed to provide a broader range of cost-effective services tailored to meet client needs and increase access to justice. Two Calgary lawyers weigh in on the changes. "In response to economic pressures on legal aid caused by reduced funding from its various revenue sources, the government's solution is to streamline the service by reducing financial eligibility for legal aid coverage," says David Chow, a criminal lawyer with Molle Roulston Chow. "This is coupled with a decrease in the number of certificates offered to private defence counsel. It's difficult to accept the govern- ment's claim that the legal aid pilot projects will increase access to justice because the simple fact that financial eligibility is reduced, necessarily decreases access to justice for low-income earners who fall just outside the guidelines." Chow says the new protocol is insensitive to those whose income largely relies on legal aid certificates. "Notwithstanding there might be cost savings associated with a public defender or duty counsel model, reducing the number of certificates available to private lawyers on the legal aid roster might cause experienced defence counsel to flee the practice of criminal law while at the same time deterring others from entering the practice altogether. The net effect is not only a reduction in the number of lawyers available, but a reduction in the number of quality counsel practising in an important field where constitutional rights are measured on a quotidian basis." The previous legal aid model struck a balance between affordable legal services and an accused's ability to retain counsel of choice, says Chow. The new system appears to favour the appointment of duty counsel over private lawyers, he says, meaning a poor accused will be less likely to be represented by his or her lawyer of choice. Lisa Burgis of Batting Der says she doesn't rely on legal aid so these would not dramat- ically affect her. Although she says they actually might increase her client base. "I would likely need to restructure my fees for those with less financial means. Occasionally in the past, I have accepted a legal aid certificate and assisted an individual." She says a few months ago, a former client of hers was charged with relatively minor weapons offences but couldn't afford to hire her. "I agreed to take a legal aid certificate. However, with the new changes to legal aid, his offence is now ineligible for coverage." — DC www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com JUNE 2010 11 Alberta Justice