Annual Congress

Overview

This francophone conference, provided by the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO), offered an in-depth examination of current trends in various areas of the law, including linguistic rights.

Objectives

The annual AJEFO conference represents an opportunity for training and networking in French. The conference addressed current changes in law practice and language rights along with the implications these may have for courts and administrative tribunals.

Summary

The program covered a wide range of legal topics and updates, including the French Language Services Act, access to justice in French and recent developments in family law, administrative law, criminal law and immigration, refugee and citizenship law. The conference also included a discussion as to how technology is affecting the way judges and lawyers interact with the public and their clients along with how to manage expectations. It addressed the pressing issue of advertising and legal fee arrangements under ethical principles and rules of professional conduct. Participants had the chance to participate in a case study of the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision, R v Jordan (2016), which changed the framework for determining whether an accused has been tried within a reasonable time under s 11(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom.

Conference speakers included lawyers from across Ontario, professors from the University of Ottawa’s French Common Law Program, as well as judges from the Supreme Court of Canada, the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Ontario Superior Court.