Canada’s law societies have a duty in law to solve the “unaffordable legal services problem,” i.e., that the majority of the population cannot obtain legal services at reasonable cost. The problem has been developing over decades during which years the law societies have failed to act. The problem has caused severe damage to: (1) the population for lack of legal services; (2) the courts by the “clogging” caused by self-represented litigants; (3) the legal profession which is contracting when it could be expanding, in spite of very negative forecasts for its future; and (4) to the funding of legal aid organizations because it is not “politically wise” to provide adequate or increased funding for free legal services for poor people while the majority of taxpayers have no affordable legal services. The theme of this article is that the law societies have not acted because they do not accept the proposition that it is their duty in law to solve the problem, as are the problems created by incompetent and unethical lawyers.
Author Archives: Admin2
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage: 2014 update
This paper is intended as an overview of the current law in Ontario regarding uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Although these areas have certain similarities – both are highly complex, technical areas of the law that arise when there is insufficient insurance to cover the plaintiff’s damages – there are critical distinctions between the two. Prior to working on any case involving either uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, every lawyer should review the sources of coverage and the recent case law.
http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=43ccc31e-3462-40cd-8305-6b2cc60ec248
Manitoba Public Insurance launches texting and driving simulator
As a part of its anti-distracted driving ‘Your Last Words’ campaign, Manitoba Public Insurance announced Tuesday the release of a simulator designed to encourage people to stop texting while they drive.
Ontario’s legal system too costly and complicated, new chief justice says
TORONTO — Ontario’s legal system has grown so expensive and bogged down by red tape that it’s now inaccessible to many of the people it’s meant to serve, the province’s new top judge warned on his first full day on the job
Bill 15 in Ontario – The good and the bad re: personal injury law
On July 15, 2014, Bill 15 was carried through first reading in Ontario’s legislative assembly. It is not law yet, but the bill appears to have the strong support of the government and so it seems likely that it will eventually be passed. The bill itself, and its legislative status, can be found at:
http://www.personalinjurylawlawyer.ca/bill-15-ontario-good-bad-re-personal-injury-law/
Unearthing the digital motherlode
Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn can help lawyers cross-examine experts, while Facebook can reveal more than surveillance — at much less cost, says the Nova Scotia lawyer who recently won the first reported Canadian ruling ordering disclosure of a plaintiff’s Facebook usage history.
http://www.lawyersweekly.ca/index.php?section=article&articleid=2208
Ontario revamps legislation web site
Ontario’s e-Laws web site, which provides a searchable online repository of the province’s laws and regulations, launched a new beta version of itself for testing this week — and it appears to be a significant improvement.
Good Faith Bargaining? Recent Decision Implies A Duty To …
… negotiate in good faith according to the recent decision in SCM Insurance Services Inc. v. Medisys Corporate Health LP, 2014 ONSC 2632, where the Ontario …
Hefty hike in MD insurance coming – Edmonton Journal
The actual 2015 fees for each specialty won’t be posted until October, but the new regional average will likely still be well below the average $7,628 paid by doctors in Ontario. Already facing the highest fees in the country, doctors in Ontario face an 18 per cent increase to make up a $53 million increase, bringing the total up to $284 million.
Economical Insurance and its broker partner, McDougall Insurance Brokers, provide $10,000 to help fund volunteer training for Spinal Cord Injury Ontario’s Peer Support Program
TORONTO, Sept. 5, 2014 /CNW/ – Economical Insurance, one of Canada’s leading home, auto and business insurance providers, has donated$10,000 to Spinal Cord Injury Ontario‘s Peer Support Program in association with Belleville-based McDougall Insurance Brokers, the largest insurance brokerage in Eastern Canada. The funds will go towards training volunteers to connect people living with spinal cord injuries and their families to fully-trained peers who can share their experience and knowledge