Ecotourism works with bears 
Free contraception expands
Lottery win lands in court
Green transition to disrupt 
Liberal leadership potential
CBC needed, minister says
Embers spreading wildfires
NATO to protect sea cables 
Biden touts the economy
Google faces more scrutiny 
Lumber markets 'spooked'
MEC goes up for sale
Warriors streak reaches 3
Vipers affected by changes
Rockets fall to Giants
Swift gave $100K bonuses
Another Diddy lawsuit
Underwood at Trump event
Re. Is Legal Aid working (Castanet (Dec 10)
The headline of the article asks "Is legal aid working?" The short answer is no.
The article explains this in two salient quotes from Jennifer Leitch, the executive director of the National Self-represented Litigants Project.
She states, "The system is kind of built for and by lawyers and judges, and if you don't have a legal education, you're going to be at a serious disadvantage, both procedurally, but also substantively, you just don't have a background in the law."
When you couple that with the difficulties inherent in obtaining the services of a lawyer via the auspices of Legal Aid, it creates a revolving door nightmare for those hopeful self-representing navigators of a legal system in which the cards, seemingly by design, are stacked against them.
I have had a Master of the Court, in a small claims proceeding initiated by me, tell me: "You should have legal representation."
When I asked him if I was not allowed, by law, to represent myself, his response was, "Of course, but you will fare better by being represented by a lawyer."
Where is the hopeful self-representer to turn for assistance, if this is the prevailing attitude from that system that is designed by lawyers and judges to further their own interests, rather than the interests of the poor sap that finds themselves trapped in such a one-sided affair?
Perhaps a more poignant question to ask, and report on, is how can the legal system be fixed to create a more level playing field?
Mark Levey
