Domestic Violence and Access to Justice Within and Across Legal Systems

The Canadian Journal of Family Law is hosting a mini-symposium as a launch event for its forthcoming special issue on the topic of domestic violence. The issue is the culmination of a six-year, SSHRC-funded project titled “Domestic Violence and Access to Justice within and across Legal Systems.” The event will include two panels in which the authors will present their work and engage with the audience. The first panel will explore some of the most prominent issues raised by domestic violence in the family law context: It will include presentations by Wendy Chan on experiences and services in Vancouver, Jennifer Koshan on myths and stereotypes, and Michaela Keet on mediation. The second panel will focus on family law’s intersections with other legal domains or systems: It will include presentations by Jennifer Koshan on family law and civil protection systems, by Wanda Wiegers on family law and child protection, and by Janet Mosher on family law and immigration law. The panels will be hosted in person at Allard Hall and also available via Zoom*.

*Zoom links will be distributed on the day of the event. If attending virtually please RSVP at the following link: http://tiny.cc/cjflsymposium

PANELS:

First Panel, Lew Forum, 12:30–1:45 PM
Moderator: Salima Samnani, Allard Law
Presenters:
Wendy Chan, SFU, “’This Isn’t Justice’”: Abused Women Navigate Family Law in Greater Vancouver”
Jennifer Koshan, University of Calgary, “Preventive Justice? Domestic Violence Protection Orders and Their Intersections with Family and Other Laws and Legal Systems”
Michaela Keet, University of Saskatchewan, “Mediator Discretion in Cases Involving Domestic Violence”

Second Panel: Room 106, 2:30–3:45 PM
Moderator: The Honourable Donna J. Martinson, Q.C.
Presenters:
Jennifer Koshan, University of Calgary, “Challenging Myths and Stereotypes in Domestic Violence Cases”
Wanda Wiegers, University of Saskatchewan, “The Intersection of Child Protection and Family Law Systems in Cases of Domestic Violence”
Janet Mosher, Osgoode Hall Law School, “Domestic Violence, Precarious Immigration Status, and the Complex Interplay of Family Law and Immigration Law Violence”