Dr Kayla Stewart (left) and Associate Professor Bridgette Toy-Cronin from the Faculty of Law welcome the launch of a new national initiative to improve access to civil justice.
A newly-established national initiative to improve access to civil justice will initially be hosted by the Faculty of Law at the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.
The National Civil Justice Observatory (the Observatory) is a key component of the Ministry of Justice’s Wayfinding for Civil Justice National Strategy, a stakeholder-led framework designed to coordinate and strengthen efforts in delivering equitable access to civil justice.
Serving as a national structure, it will act as both a backbone organisation and a network to coordinate the reporting of civil justice initiatives, share information among stakeholders, and maintain momentum in civil justice work.
Incoming Otago Dean of Law Associate Professor Bridgette Toy-Cronin, who will initially lead implementation of the Observatory, says the launch is a significant milestone for Aotearoa, New Zealand.
“This initiative is a key component of a stakeholder-led framework designed to coordinate and strengthen efforts in delivering equitable access to civil justice.
“Recent legal needs research indicates that a third of the population in Aotearoa has experienced a civil justice issue in the past year.”
Civil justice issues are broadly defined as legal issues that fall outside criminal law, such as employment or family issues.
These problems can have significant negative consequences on individuals, their families, and communities, impacting all aspects of their wellbeing, Associate Professor Toy-Cronin says.
“Many challenges exist in resolving legal issues, with numerous people unable to access the assistance they need.
“The Observatory aims to improve the resolution of civil justice issues by bringing together stakeholders – both government and non-government organisations - who work to facilitate and improve access to justice in Aotearoa.”
“The Observatory will operate under a collective impact model, fostering structured collaboration among diverse stakeholders, both government and non-government.
“The goal is to create a unified approach to improving access to civil justice, similar to successful models like the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice.”
Key functions of the Observatory include:
- Facilitating stakeholder connections;
- Encouraging frank insights on challenges and structural issues within the civil justice sector;
- Channelling feedback to relevant bodies;
- Maintaining a database of civil justice initiatives and evidence-based information for planning future initiatives;
- Mapping progress towards the Wayfinding strategy goals.
The Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation has provided funding to establish the Observatory.
This, along with contributions from various stakeholders throughout the development of the Wayfinding strategy, has been crucial in bringing the Observatory to fruition, says Associate Professor Toy-Cronin.
“Providing all people with equal access to civil justice to solve legal problems is a key component of the commitment to rule of law and to honour the obligations of Te Tiriti.
“The launch of the Observatory represents a significant step towards this.”
For more information about the Wayfinding for Civil Justice strategy, click here.
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