2024 ONLINE SYMPOSIUM – ONE MONTH AWAY – MAY 17, 2024
Don’t delay to register! Our upcoming Online Symposium will take place May 17, 2024. This year’s symposium, titled Mediation as a Critical Tool in Legal Practice, will focus on the critical role of mediation in facilitating access to justice for both the general public and those confronted with legal issues, the hurdles confronting Canadian Administrative Tribunals, among much more. Speakers will be released shortly, so stay tuned for announcements on our LinkedIn page and through CBA communications!
REGISTER NOW →
JAMES L. THISTLE, K.C. 2024 LAW STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST
We are once again holding our Law Student Essay Contest! The contest is now open for submissions, with the deadline being May 2, 2024. Check out the essay contest rules and past winning submissions. Please share with your network!
PODCAST
Our PD Committee has worked tirelessly on creating an engaging and informative podcast episode! We are excited to announce that our episode, focusing on women in mediation, will be released this month. Watch this space and our social media pages for details about the exciting guests featured on the episode and official release date!
CALL FOR MEMBER ARTICLES
Our Section is looking to feature member articles in Possibilities. If you are interested in having an article published, please let us know! Our Secretary, Shannon Belvedere, would be happy to connect with you.
PROVINCIAL UPDATES
QUEBEC
Olivier Després will be the Keynote speaker hosting the Conference regarding the Annual Review of Quebec case-law on commercial and civil arbitration in Quebec this month! Further, the Quebec branch is continuing to work with France, as they have been since November. Quebec first hosted a delegation for a week so they could learn about Quebec’s mediation system, and this May, members of the Quebec branch will be travelling across the Atlantic to do the same! Stay tuned for updates on this exciting initiative.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
The British Columbia Branch has two more meetings left this year. Since our last update, they hosted a talk on the intersection of mediation and musicality and has another event scheduled soon hosted by Michael Lomax on High Conflict Disputes.
SASKATCHEWAN
Saskatchewan held their last meeting a few weeks ago. Since our last update, they had a Kings Bench Justice present on family bar on binding judicial mediation.
MANITOBA
Manitoba has an organization called Collaborative Practice Manitoba, which involves having clients agree to work with a multi-disciplinary team to resolve their disputes/create a separation agreement for family matters. The Branch has been working with colleagues in other provinces to have these types of discussions with!
Earlier in March, Manitoba’s family law lawyers met for their annual day-long PD session. It provided a valuable opportunity for family lawyers to learn about news and updates in their practice area.
At the end of February, the ADR Institute of Manitoba hosted a webinar on the benefits of mediation designations and how to obtain them. CBA/MBA members may be interested in obtaining a designation with ADRIM since the designations can assist with building a mediation practice. We are fortunate the Manitoba Branch Chair is also the president of ADRIM, so it is easy for the CBA to maintain a relationship with both the local chapter and ADRIC at the national level.
Sport Manitoba is working on an RFP for mediators and arbitrators to assist with local/provincial sport organization disputes. Sport Manitoba has worked closely with ADRIM on this, and we anticipate that the RFP will be made public sometime in April or May.
Lastly, the Manitoba Branch hosted a webinar with ODACC (Ontario Dispute Adjudication for Construction Contracts) on April 4th. The topic of construction adjudication and the work of ODACC were very relevant given that Manitobans are waiting for the provincial government to finalize regulations for construction adjudication.
ONTARIO
The Ontario Branch will be hosting a 2-hour program on May 6, 2024 during which they will be discussing “Neutral Diversity in Ontario”. The webinar will help lawyers use the recommendations in the OBA report to take important steps towards enhancing neutral diversity in Ontario.
Finally, the mandatory mediation expansion program started years ago, but dwindled due to lack of government interest. The Ontario Branch has been working on it over the past few years and will continue to advocate for the revision of civil procedure rule 24, which would ensure it expands beyond the three current cities.
Thank you,
CBA Dispute Resolution Section Executive