Coast-to Coast-to coast Coast
Addressing Reconciliation through Canada’s Legal System Damian Ali
A pledge for greater Indigenous inclusion in modern Canadian law practices has taken a firm step forward.
T
Coast-to Coast-to Coast
he Federation of Law Societies of Canada has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting reconciliation efforts by adopting new guiding principles designed to foster greater inclusion of Indigenous perspectives and principles. “We are committed to fostering reconciliation in all aspects of our work and have adopted Guiding Principles to ensure Indigenous perspectives inform our progress,” reads a December 2020 statement from the group, which is the coordinating body for Canada’s 14 law societies. “We are also committed to supporting the efforts of law societies and law schools to enhance the knowledge and competency of future and existing law professionals across Canada.”
In the statement, the Federation -- whose members regulate lawyers, (and some oversee paralegals and other legal professionals within their jurisdictions) -- laid out various frameworks and principles they developed from their June 2020 Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action Advisory Committee report. The group also acknowledged that legal professionals and others in the justice field must improve their relationships with Indigenous individuals and communities.
Truth and Reconciliation The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was created in 2008 with the purpose of documenting the
12 theregistrar.ca
winter edition 2021
