Nunavut Legal Services Study

Final Report

October 16, 2002

The views expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Justice Canada

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

ACRONYMS

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
   1. INTRODUCTION
   2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: NUNAVUT AND THE NUNAVUT LEGAL SERVICES BOARD
      1. Nunavut
      2. Nunavut's legal system
      3. The Nunavut Legal Services Board
   3. SERVICE DELIVERY: DEMAND, PATTERN, AND QUALITY
      1. Court structure - Circuit courts
      2. Court structure - Justice of the Peace courts
      3. Geography
      4. Culture
   4. COST OF SERVICE PROVISION
   5. THE EXTENT OF UNMET NEED FOR LEGAL SERVICES
   6. THE IMPACT OF UNMET NEEDS
      1. The accused
      2. The victim
      3. The community
      4. The NLSB staff
      5. The legal system as a whole
   7. COURTWORKERS
   8. PUBLIC LEGAL EDUCATION AND INFORMATION
   9. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

1. 1. INTRODUCTION
   1. 1.1 PURPOSE
   2. 1.2 METHODOLOGY
      1. 1.2.1 Interviews
      2. 1.2.2 Document review
      3. 1.2.3 File-based research
      4. 1.2.4 Workshops
      5. 1.2.5 Client interviews
   3. 1.3 EFFECT OF INTERACTIONS IN THE NUNAVUT LEGAL SYSTEM
   4. 1.4 FORMAT OF THE FINAL REPORT
       
2. 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: NUNAVUT AND THE NUNAVUT LEGAL SERVICES BOARD
    
   1. 2.1 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SITUATION
      1. 2.1.1 Population size and distribution by age group
      2. 2.1.2 Family structure
      3. 2.1.3 Housing and living arrangements
      4. 2.1.4 Education
      5. 2.1.5 Language and ancestry
      6. 2.1.6 Crime and policing
      7. 2.1.7 Employment
      8. 2.1.8 Incidence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and/or Effect
   2. 2.2 THE LEGAL SYSTEM
      1. 2.2.1 The history of Nunavut's legal system
      2. 2.2.2 The current legal system
   3. 2.3 NUNAVUT LEGAL SERVICES BOARD (NLSB)
      1. 2.3.1 The history of the NLSB
      2. 2.3.2 Roles and responsibilities of the NLSB
      3. 2.3.3 Current resources of the NLSB
      4. 2.3.4 Current legal aid service delivery statistics
   4. 2.4 SUMMARY OF SECTION 2.0
3. 3. SERVICE DELIVERY: DEMAND, PATTERN, AND QUALITY
   1. 3.1 IMPACT OF COURT STRUCTURE
      1. 3.1.1 Nunavut Court of Justice
      2. 3.1.2 Justice of the Peace courts
   2. 3.2 IMPACT OF GEOGRAPHY
   3. 3.3 IMPACT OF CULTURE
   4. 3.4 SUMMARY OF SECTION 3.0
4. 4. COST OF SERVICE PROVISION
   1. 4.1 SIGNIFICANT COST DRIVERS IN NUNAVUT
      1. 4.1.1 Geographic cost drivers
      2. 4.1.2 Socio-economic cost drivers
      3. 4.1.3 Political cost drivers
      4. 4.1.4 Scarcity of human resources
   2. 4.2 IMPACT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
      1. 4.2.1 Federal legislation
      2. 4.2.2 Federal policies
      3. 4.2.3 Federal resource allocation decisions
   3. 4.3 SUMMARY OF SECTION 4.0
5. 5. THE EXTENT OF UNMET NEED FOR LEGAL SERVICES
   1. 5.1 UNMET NEEDS IN FAMILY AND CIVIL LAW
      1. 5.1.1 The current level of service in family and civil law
      2. 5.1.2 Unmet need in family and civil law
      3. 5.1.3 Resources required to improve family and civil law service delivery
   2. 5.2 UNMET NEEDS IN CIRCUIT COURTS
      1. 5.2.1 Current level of service in circuit courts
      2. 5.2.2 Resources required to improve service delivery in circuit courts
   3. 5.3 UNMET NEEDS IN JUSTICE OF THE PEACE COURTS
      1. 5.3.1 Current level of service in Justice of the Peace courts
      2. 5.3.2 Unmet need in Justice of the Peace courts
      3. 5.3.3 Resources required to improve service delivery in Justice of the Peace courts
   4. 5.4 UNMET NEEDS PRIOR TO FIRST APPEARANCE
      1. 5.4.1 Current level of service prior to first appearance
      2. 5.4.2 Unmet need prior to first appearance
      3. 5.4.3 Resources required to improve service delivery prior to first appearance
   5. 5.5 UNMET NEEDS FOR PRISONERS ON REMAND
   6. 5.6 SUMMARY OF SECTION 5.0
6. 6. IMPACT OF UNMET NEEDS
   1. 6.1 IMPACT ON THE ACCUSED
      1. 6.1.1 Unmet need in circuit courts and JP Court
      2. 6.1.2 Unmet need prior to first appearance
      3. 6.1.3 Unmet need in family and civil law
   2. 6.2 ON THE VICTIM OR OTHER PARTY
   3. 6.3 ON THE COMMUNITY
      1. 6.3.1 Effects of delays in circuit courts
      2. 6.3.2 Emotional effects
      3. 6.3.3 Increased interaction and responsibilities
   4. 6.4 ON NLSB STAFF
   5. 6.5 ON THE NUNAVUT LEGAL SYSTEM
      1. 6.5.1 Effect of lack of representation in Justice of the Peace courts
      2. 6.5.2 Effect of unmet need in circuit courts on probation officers
      3. 6.5.3 Effect of unmet family law needs on demand for criminal representation
   6. 6.6 SUMMARY OF SECTION 6.0
7. 7. COURTWORKERS
   1. 7.1 CURRENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
      1. 7.1.1 Responsibilities of Nunavut's Courtworkers
   2. 7.2 POTENTIAL TO MEET UNMET NEEDS
   3. 7.3 RESOURCES REQUIRED TO FULFILL POTENTIAL
   4. 7.4 SUMMARY OF SECTION 7.0
8. 8. PUBLIC LEGAL EDUCATION AND INFORMATION
   1. 8.1 CURRENT PLEI INITIATIVES
   2. 8.2 UNMET PLEI NEEDS
   3. 8.3 RESOURCES REQUIRED TO MEET UNMET PLEI NEEDS
      1. 8.3.1 Improving PLEI delivery
      2. 8.3.2 Concerns about increased PLEI
      3. 8.3.3 Allocating responsibility for PLEI
   4. 8.4 SUMMARY OF SECTION 8.0
9. 9. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
   1. 9.1 PROPOSED SOLUTIONS FOR STAKEHOLDERS OF THE NUNAVUT LEGAL SERVICES PLAN
   2. 9.2 PROPOSED SOLUTIONS FOR THE BROADER NUNAVUT JUSTICE SYSTEM
10. 10. CONCLUSION
11. APPENDIX A - QUESTIONS FROM THE TERMS OF REFERENCE
12. APPENDIX B - LIST OF INTERVIEWEES
13. APPENDIX C - WORKSHOP ATTENDANCE LISTS
14. APPENDIX D - CLIENT SURVEY QUESTIONS

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

0. FIGURE 2.1: MAP OF NUNAVUT SHOWING COMMUNITIES AND REGIONS
1. FIGURE 2.2: POPULATION OF NUNAVUT BY AGE GROUP (1996)
2. FIGURE 2.3: FAMILY STRUCTURE BY PROVINCE OR TERRITORY (1996)
3. FIGURE 2.4: AVERAGE NUMBER OF PERSONS PER HOUSEHOLD BY PROVINCE OR TERRITORY (1996)
4. FIGURE 2.5: LEVEL OF EDUCATION, NWT (INCL. NU) VS. CANADA (1996)
5. FIGURE 2.6: RATIO OF POPULATION TO POLICE OFFICERS BY PROVINCE OR TERRITORY (2001)
6. FIGURE 2.7: UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IN NUNAVUT COMMUNITIES (1996)
7. FIGURE 2.8: NLSB BUDGET (1999/2000 TO 2002/2003)
8. TABLE 2.1: NLSB BUDGET (2002/2003)
9. FIGURE 2.9: NUMBER OF LEGAL AID APPLICATIONS BY TYPE (1999 - APRIL 2002)
10. FIGURE 2.10: APPLICATIONS RECEIVED VS. APPLICATIONS DENIED (1999 - APRIL 2002)
11. FIGURE 2.11: APPLICATIONS DENIED BY TYPE OF LEGAL AID REQUESTED (1999 - APRIL 2002)
12. FIGURE 2.12: REASONS FOR DENIAL OF APPLICATION (1999 - APRIL 2002)
13. TABLE 2.2: SUMMARY OF SECTION 2.0
14. TABLE 3.1: DRAFT CIRCUIT SCHEDULE (2002)
15. FIGURE 3.1: ADJOURNED CHARGES VS. OVERALL CHARGES IN CIRCUIT COURTS (SEPTEMBER 2000 TO APRIL 2002)
16. FIGURE 3.2: RATIO OF "NORMAL" TO "UNUSUAL" ADJOURNMENTS (SEPTEMBER 2000 TO APRIL 2002)
    DISCONTINUITY IN DEFENCE COUNSEL
17. FIGURE 3.3: CHARGES COVERED BY PRESUMED ELIGIBILITY VS. CHARGES COVERED BY A LEGAL AID APPLICATION (SEPTEMBER 2000 TO APRIL 2002)
18. TABLE 3.2: SUMMARY OF SECTION 3.0
19. TABLE 4.1: SAMPLE HISTORICAL TRAVEL COSTS
20. TABLE 4.2: SUMMARY OF SECTION 4.0
21. TABLE 5.1: SUMMARY OF SECTION 5.0
22. TABLE 6.1: SUMMARY OF SECTION 6.0
23. TABLE 7.1: SUMMARY OF SECTION 7.0
24. TABLE 8.1: SUMMARY OF SECTION 8.0

ACRONYMS

AJA Access to Justice Agreement (between the federal government and the GN)
CJC Community Justice Committees
GN Government of Nunavut
JP Justice of the Peace
NCJ Nunavut Court of Justice
NLSB Nunavut Legal Services Board
NTI Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
NU Nunavut
NWT Northwest Territories
YCJC Youth Community Justice Committees

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