Law Reform

The Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre is a Canadian non-governmental, non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Calgary which undertakes research on contemporary civil liberties and human rights issues that are of concern to Albertans. The projects are diverse – from proposals for reform of human rights legislation, to a report on citizen complaints about police conduct, to a manual for lawyers who represent mentally disabled clients. Staff and volunteers make presentations on a wide range of civil liberties and human rights topics.

The Alberta Law Reform Institute is the official law reform agency for the province of Alberta. It provides independent comprehensive advice to the Government of Alberta and other agencies to ensure that the law and administration of justice are kept up to date and serve Albertans to the best extent possible.

The British Columbia Law Institute was created in January 1997 by incorporation under the Provincial Society Act. The broad purposes of the Institute, described in Article 2 of its Constitution, are to: promote the clarification and simplification of the law and its adaptation to modern social needs, promote improvement of the administration of justice and respect for the rule of law, and promote and carry out scholarly legal research. The website of the British Columbia Law Institute provides access to an invaluable database of law reform materials from common law jurisdictions around the world.

The Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice is a voluntary, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of justice for all Canadians. Since its inception in 1974, the CIAJ has kept a critical eye on our justice system and explored cutting-edge issues likely to improve the administration of justice and preserve a strong and independent judiciary.

The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) was established at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law in the fall of 2003. Through student-centered research and advocacy, the clinic represents consumer and other public interests in such areas as intellectual property, consumer protection in e-commerce, domain name governance, personal information protection and privacy.

Founded in 1978, the Canadian Study of Parliament Group (CSPG) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that brings together parliamentary experts, academics, and public servants with an interest in the role, function and reform of parliamentary institutions. The CSPG organizes and undertakes various events and research publications that foster discussion and enhance knowledge of parliamentary government.

The Centre for Innovation Law and Policy (CILP) examines the interface between technology and law. A multi-faceted and interdisciplinary research centre at the University of Toronto, the CILP primarily focuses on intellectual property, cyberlaw, and privacy, as well as telecommunications and biotechnology law. The centre sponsors conferences, public lectures, seminars and other events.

This federal government website details a legislative plan to strengthen accountability in government through democratic reform.

Now that the highly anticipated new copyright legislation has been introduced, more and more librarians are hearing from concerned library users that copyright laws must reflect the public interest. As the voice of the community of library users and professionals, CLA is committed to getting the crucial message to government that copyright issues do indeed strike a chord with Canadians.

This report from the Law Commission of Ontario provides background about the lives of older adults that informs the Framework, sets out in detail the principles and considerations that create the basis for the Framework, and provides examples of the potential application of the Framework. The 293-page PDF is available for free download. Related keywords: Law reform (18), Research reports and institutes (75)

Based in Vancouver, the International Centre’s mission is to improve the quality of justice through reform of criminal law, policy, and practice. It undertakes the development and delivery of technical assistance programs, develops tools and manuals, conducts research and policy analysis, and actively supports international cooperation to fight against serious crimes.

Founded in 1893, the National Council of Women of Canada is an NGO (non-governmental organization) whose mission is to improve the quality of life for women, families, and society through a forum of member organizations and individuals. Their website details current and past initiatives, including correspondence to the federal government as well as reports and press releases on a variety of topics.