CALGARY — Legal experts, politicians and Canada's top judge are saying it's increasingly difficult for low- and middle-income Canadians to get access to the courts.
Alberta Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley told a Canadian Bar Association convention in Calgary that there needs to be a review of the province's legal aid since it appears to barely be getting the job done.
She said only people with low incomes qualify for legal assistance, which leaves out middle-class earners who can't afford it either.
Ganley says access to justice is, in her words, "rapidly moving to a crisis point" and something needs to be done.
Beverley McLachlin, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, said Canadians who are unrepresented rarely do well in court.
Michele Hollins, outgoing president of the bar association, urged members to get involved in the federal election campaign in a non-partisan way to make sure the issue of court access is heard.
