ARCTIC OBITER

MARCH/APRIL 2012 | 11
New CBA/PBLO project highlights
importance of access to justice
As part of its ongoing commitment to
access to justice, the CBA has joined
forces with Pro Bono Law Ontario
(PBLO) and the Supreme Court of
Canada to provide pro bono legal
services to low-income, selfrepresented
Ontarians seeking leave to
appeal at the Supreme Court of
Canada.
The project, initiated at the request of
the Supreme Court, will eliminate
access to justice barriers in Ontario by
helping eligible litigants determine the
merits of their leave applications and
offer assistance to those with the
potential for success.
Aiming to
implement the project nation-wide, the
CBA plans to engage with pro bono
groups across Canada.
At the project’s launch reception on
April 5 in Toronto, former Supreme
Court Judge Ian Binnie praised the
PBLO/CBA’s new initiative. “Access to
justice is a national concern and one
that preoccupies our Supreme Court.
The assistance of voluntary lawyers
who are knowledgeable in Supreme
Court procedures will make a world of
difference to individual citizens who
lack the know-how and resources to
carry their claims forward without it.”
To read the full press release, visit
www.pblo.org.
Protecting
Solicitor-Client
Privilege
Appearing before the Senate
Committee on Banking, Trade and
Commerce on April 4, the CBA has
once again spoken out in defense of
solicitor-client privilege during the
Committee’s five year review of the
Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist
Financing Act.
Ron Skolrood of Vancouver, a
member of the CBA’s Working Group
on Proceeds of Crime, explained
while the CBA supports the
government’s attempts to combat
money laundering, these efforts must
not interfere with the public’s right to
consult a lawyer in confidence.
Young Lawyers International Program
A group of nine young lawyers
recently visited the CBA National
Office in Ottawa after completing sixmonth
internships with the CBA’s
Young Lawyers International
Program (YLIP).
The group was in town to debrief and
share their experiences in the
program. With funding from the
Canadian International Development
Agency, YLIP last year sent 19 young
lawyers to legal organizations in
South Africa, Kenya, Namibia,
Colombia, and Guyana with the
overall goal of expanding human
rights in these developing nations.
While the YLIP links
international human
rights organizations
with talented young
lawyers looking to
make meaningful
contributions abroad,
it also gives new
lawyers a chance to
gain unparalleled
work experience in the
human rights field.
To learn more about the program and
view photos from the lawyers’ trips,
visit www.cba.org/CBA/IDP/yiip/.