2009-2010 - Public Legal Information Association of NL

Annual Report 2009-2010
Message from the Executive Director
Public Legal Information Association of NL (PLIAN) is a non-profit organization
dedicated to educating Newfoundlanders and Labradorians about the law. We provide
public legal education and information services with the intent of increasing access to
justice. PLIAN is now into our 26th year of operation! As PLIAN’s team continues to carry
out its mandate, more people are familiar with and use our services.
Educating you about the Law
Contents:
Message from the
President
2
Board of
Directors
2
Staff, Volunteer
and Student
3
Publications and
People Served
4
Projects
4-7
Lawyer Referral
Service
7
Youth Justice
Camp
8
Out and About in
the Community
9-10
In Memoriam
10
Statement of
Operations
11
Thank You
12
Over the past year, PLIAN has been involved in a number of exciting projects which we
proudly highlight in this year’s Annual Report. We have also been involved in many
additional community events and presented to diverse audiences on a variety of legal
topics. Check out the “Out & About in the Community” section of this report to see some
of the events we have been involved with over the past year.
For many years, PLIAN has been fortunate to receive core funding support (including
in-kind support) from Justice Canada, Law Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador,
and the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Justice. PLIAN has been equally
fortunate to receive project funding. Support from our government funders, the legal
profession, as well as from educators and community groups across the province, remains
vital to ensuring a bridge between our organization and the communities of Newfoundland
and Labrador.
PLIAN is the Newfoundland and Labrador component of Public Legal Education
Association of Canada (PLEAC). In September of 2009 PLIAN proudly hosted PLEAC’s
Annual Conference. The conference brought together delegates from across the country,
and even as far away as the United Kingdom. It
was a wonderful opportunity to share best
practices, showcase new and innovative programs,
and network.
There are many people whom I would like to thank
and acknowledge at this time. Thank you to
PLIAN’s Board President Fred Kavanagh who is
always a great source of help and support, the rest
of our hard working Board of Directors, my fellow
Directors of PLEAC, Kelly Brockerville, Sarah
McHugh, Robin Singleton, Julia Power and our
dedicated volunteers and many community
partners.
With continued vision, effort, hard work and
dedication, we can continue PLIAN’s success into
2010- 2011 and beyond. Thank you!
Kristen O’Keefe, B.A., M.H.E., LL.B.
Executive Director, PLIAN
Annual Report 2009-2010
2
Message from the President
As President of PLIAN’s
Board of Directors I am
pleased to report that PLIAN
has been servicing the people
of this Province since 1984
and has just celebrated our
25th year of operation. I am
honoured to say that I have
been a part of this quarter
century of operation and
look forward to the years
ahead.
I would like to take this
opportunity to sincerely
thank the members of
PLIAN’s Board of
Directors, as well as
PLIAN’s staff. Your time,
effort, guidance and
Stefanie Tuff
Vice President
dedication has helped
PLIAN be where it is today.
I am happy to report that we
are currently involved in a
number of exciting
initiatives which aim to
promote greater access to
justice in the province of
Newfoundland and
Labrador. These initiatives
include a project whereby we
will travel to remote
communities of the
province in order to deliver
family law presentations to
the public, as well as
hosting our youth justice
camps in northern
Sean Dawe
Treasurer
communities in Labrador
including Nain and
Hopedale. These are just a
few of the exciting initiatives
we are currently involved in.
I welcome you to enjoy the
rest of our Annual Report
and see for yourself the
exciting activities of Public
Legal Information
Association of
Newfoundland and
Labrador!
Fred has been actively
involved in PLIAN’s
Board for 25 years!
Fred Kavanagh, President
Board of Directors
Jason House
Secretary
Cheryl Bennett
Director
Bruce Chislett
Director
Photo not available for
the following Directors:
- Insp. John House
- Sgt. Dave Bishop
- Hon. Justice Adams
Meaghan Lake
Director
Leanne O’Leary
Director
Susan Doyle
Director
Honourable
Judge Hyslop
Director
The Board and Staff of Public Legal Information Association of NL would like to thank
Fred Wood for his service to the Board of Directors.
Mr. Wood will be taking a leave of absence as he will be teaching Canadian history and
parliamentary democracy to Canadian students in the country of Qatar. We wish him
and his family all the best and look forward to his return to the Board in the future.
Fred Wood
Director
3
Over the past fiscal year PLIAN continued with some very familiar staff, welcomed some new faces and said
good bye to some employees and volunteers. Back in 2006 PLIAN welcomed Kristen O’Keefe as
Executive Director and we are happy to report that she continues in this role today. It was also way back in
2001 that PLIAN welcomed Kelly Brockerville to the staff and she too is still here as Office Manager. Sarah
McHugh continues in her role as Project Coordinator and has been an integral part of PLIAN’s staff.
During the 2009-2010 fiscal year PLIAN welcomed Robin Singleton as a Project Coordinator for our Family
Law Project, delivering family law information to the rural communities of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Robin has been a major contributor to PLIAN’s success for the 2009-2010 year.
Educating you about the Law
Staff, Volunteer and Student Updates
Over the past fiscal year we said good bye to Tabitha Boland who originally joined PLIAN’s staff as Kelly’s
maternity replacement and then continued as a Project Coordinator.
PLIAN’s Staff
Left: Kelly Brockerville, Office
Manager.
Below Left: Robin Singleton,
Project Coordinator, traveling to
deliver a Family Law information
session in Rigolet.
Right: Sarah McHugh, Project
Coordinator and Kristen O’Keefe,
Executive Director, prepare to
give a presentation.
Students
Volunteers
Christina Spurrell and Christopher
Reid, both Political Science students at
MUN interned with us and assisted
Sarah McHugh with the Legal
Implications of Bullying Project and
various other PLIAN activities. We
also hosted an Academy Canada work
term student.
Justin Tobin
PLIAN owes many thanks to our
amazing groups of volunteers.
Scharlotta Piros
Volunteers are a very important part of
PLIAN as they assist our staff with
ensuring that we carry out and adhere
to our mandate. Throughout this past
fiscal year PLIAN was very fortunate
to have the following volunteers:
Charlesly Hiscock
Megan Sheppard
Anne-Marie Baker
Kaitlyn Porter
Christina Spurrell
Annual Report 2009-2010
4
Publications and People Served in 2009-2010
Throughout the 2009-2010 fiscal year PLIAN was very
busy reaching out to the people of our province. We are
happy to report that through our Lawyer Referral Service
and Legal Information Line we helped assist 2875 people.
Our website had 9134 hits for information and we
distributed over 10,617 publications.
Through our Lawyer Referral Service, Legal Information
Line, publications, community presentations, youth justice
camps and school visits PLIAN staff targeted the following
audiences: families, youth, seniors, community
organizations, teachers, students, government, legal
professionals, partners and the general public.
PLEAC Annual Conference
In September of 2009 PLIAN was honoured to host the Annual PLEAC
(Public Legal Education Association of Canada) Conference. This
conference also helped us to reach representatives and to spread the
word of our activities to a population outside of our province.
The 2009 PLEAC conference was held in St. John’s, Newfoundland
and Labrador from September 9 to 11th. The conference was attended
by a total of 30 delegates. Representatives from each of the 10
provinces attended as well as two delegates from the United Kingdom.
The event was held at the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The conference theme was “Access to Justice: Making a Difference.”
The Honourable Justice James P. Adams, a
member of PLIAN’s Board of Directors,
introduces Francine Charlebois to the
delegates at the
PLEAC Conference
Family Law Guide Re-Print
Family law continues to top PLIAN’s priority list as over 30% of the people who
contact our organization for assistance are seeking help with this area of the law.
In an effort to assist the people of our province with family law issues PLIAN
developed a booklet entitled, “The Family Law Guide for Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians.” This booklet was made available in 5 languages
including English, French, Inuttitut, Innu-aimun and Mi’kmaw.
The demand for these publications was so overwhelming that PLIAN applied for
and received funding from the Federal Department of Justice’s
‘Supporting Families Fund’ to re-print the guide.
5
With financial assistance from the Department of Justice Canada, PLIAN translated and and re-printed
our “Information for Victims of Family Violence” booklet into French, Inuttitut, Innu-aimun
(Sheshatshiu dialect) and Innu-aimun (Mushuau dialect). This booklet covers the following topics:
available legal options, people involved in the justice system, what to know before testifying in court,
sentencing terminology and a glossary of terms. It is our hope that this booklet will be a helpful tool to
victims of family violence living in Newfoundland and Labrador.
English
French
Innu-Aimun
(Sheshatshiu Dialect)
Inuttitut
Educating you about the Law
Information for Victims of Family Violence
Innu-Aimun
(Mushuau Dialect)
Family Law Information Sessions
PLIAN has received funding from
the Department of Justice Canada
for a family law project, “Family
Law Information Sessions:
Reaching Rural Communities in
Newfoundland and Labrador.” The
goal of the project is to educate
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians
about the family justice system in
the province and it specifically
targets rural communities.
The family law project involves the
delivery of information sessions to
a number of communities around
the province. The sessions
introduce participants to the laws
that apply to family matters and
also provide some basic guidance
on how to navigate through
different family law processes. The
topics covered include: domestic
contracts, divorce, separation,
custody, access, division of
property, child support, spousal
support and common law
relationships. A primary objective
of the project is to deliver the
presentation to individuals as well
as service providers in easy to
understand language. PLIAN also
provides copies of several of our
publications.
To date PLIAN has delivered the
session in Rigolet, Cartwright,
Labrador City, Paradise, Deer Lake,
Marystown, Gander, Bell Island
and to the Clarenville Women’s
Correctional Facility. The feedback
from the participants has been very
positive. At present, PLIAN is
preparing to deliver the session in
St. Anthony, Stephenville,
Hopedale, and Goose Bay before
this upcoming October.
Annual Report 2009-2010
6
Court of Appeal Project
Family Law Website
PLIAN has been working collaboratively with
the Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and
Labrador to develop informational material
for self-represented litigants. It is a
collaborative project. We hope the materials
will provide a helpful tool for the public.
PLIAN worked collaboratively with Supreme
Court of Newfoundland and Labrador staff to
develop plain language family law content for
inclusion on the Supreme Court website. We
are pleased to announce that as of June 1, 2010
this new section was added to the Supreme
Court website.
Labrador Training Session
In March of 2010 PLIAN received funding from the
Provincial Department of Justice to develop a
training session on the topic of criminal law for the
staff of Labrador Aboriginal Legal Services in
Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
Orientation to the
Criminal Justice System
Public Legal Information
Association of Newfoundland
and Labrador
March 29th and 30th, 2010
1
The workshop was a great success! PLIAN has
since been approached to deliver additional
workshops, with sessions planned for Sheshatshiu
and Conne River during the summer.
7
PLIAN’s Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) is available to individuals who require assistance in obtaining a
lawyer in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Service enables members of the public to consult with a
lawyer for up to thirty minutes for a nominal fee. Lawyers enroll for the service by completing a
registration form each year. Lawyer enrolment is strictly voluntary.
PLIAN wants to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the lawyers who enrolled in the lawyer referral
service this past year. Newfoundland and Labrador does not have a formalized pro bono program.
Enrollment in the Lawyer Referral Service is another avenue for lawyers to give back to your
community. Based on public response and constant increasing demand for this service, it is clear that it is
extremely beneficial to the people of our province. Lawyer participation in the service is essential to the
running of the program. Thank you!
Participating lawyers included:
- Donald Anthony - O’Brien & Anthony
- J. David B. Baird, QC - Benson Myles
- T. James Bennett - Bennett Law Firm
- Bruce Chislett - Aylward, Chislett & Whitten
- Kellie Cullihall - Gittens & Associates
- Gladys Dunne - Gladys Dunne Law
- Susan Fisher, Susan L. Fisher Law Office
- Thomas W. Fraize, QC - Fraize Law Offices
- Ernest L. Gittens - Gittens & Associates
- Daniel M. Glover - Curtis, Dawe
- Michael King - Collins & Associates
- Leah Mazerolle - Gittens & Associates
- Nancy McKillop - Gittens & Associates
- Sharon McKim-Ryan – Gittens & Associates
- David C. Moores - Moores Law
- Michael Noseworthy
- Kate J. O’Brien - O’Brien & Anthony
- Robert P. Pittman, QC - Robert P. Pittman Law Office
- Edward J. Shortall, QC - Lewis, Sinnott, Shortall, Hurley, Bruce
- Janet Tucker - Bryant Law Office
- Danny Vavasour - O’Brien & Anthony
- Brian Wentzell - Collins & Associates
Legal Implications of Bullying
PLIAN has developed a presentation entitled
Bullying: The Legal Implications
which defines different types of bullying, exemplifies
possible criminal charges, gives detailed scenarios of
behaviour that could lead to being charged, and
introduces youth to the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The presentation was first developed in 2007. Since
its inception, we’ve delivered the presentation to
approximately 1151 students!! In this past fiscal year
alone, we visited a total of 6 schools.
Educating you about the Law
Lawyer Referral Service: Thank You!
Annual Report 2009-2010
8
Youth Justice Camp
in-
With its twenty-ninth
offering recently completed,
PLIAN’s Youth Justice camp is
maintaining its status as a
high-quality, successful youth
education program. Having
been offered in St. John’s,
Nain, and points in
between, the camp has proven
to be an accessible approach to
youth justice education.
2009-10 was a tremendously
successful year for the Youth
Justice Camp. With
presentations ranging from
human rights to privacy on
Facebook, the camp offered a
broad array of information to
the campers. Equally
informative were the tours of
Provincial court and police
detachments, as well as the
Mock Trial, all of which have
gained a positive reputation as
mainstay components of the
camp.
A particularly exciting
initiative this past year was the
Youth Justice Awareness
Project, which saw the camps
branch into Labrador. Having
already delivered camps in
Hopedale and Sheshatshiu, and
with a third planned for
Natuashish, this expansion into
the Labrador region of the
province has proven highly
successful. This project was
funded by the Departments of
Justice and Labrador and
Aboriginal Affairs, as well as
the RCMP Foundation.
kind donations received within
the community. The camp’s
positive reputation is integral
to the repeat donations.
In addition to the Labrador
camps, there was a summer
camp hosted in St. John’s in
July of 2009 at the St. John’s
Native Friendship
Centre.
A basic component of the
camp is its aim to be inclusive
– this is achieved by offering
the camp free of charge. With a
highly successful fundraising
effort, 2009’s St. John’s camp
goals were met with little strain
on PLIAN’s budget. This is
due not only to the partnership
with the St. John’s Native
Friendship Centre, which
allowed the use of their venue
at no cost, but also because of
the impressive amount of
What The Campers Are Saying:
“Your camp was great! If you guys
didn't come, my weekend would
have been so boring! Thank you
guys!”
“I thought this camp was great. You
should add a year to the age category
so I can come back next year :)"
“Keep up the good work, your camp
was very fun, I really enjoyed the
experience. I learned a lot…you guys
should keep up the amazing work.”
9
PLIAN’s participation in
community activities and events
is an important aspect of the
work we do. We deliver
information sessions and
presentations on a variety of
legal topics. We feel that such
activities help to promote a more
informed public with an overall
better understanding of legal
processes. In the 2009-2010 year
PLIAN participated in various
community activities and events
which we highlight on the
following page.
Left: PLIAN information display
Right: Sarah McHugh with a youth participant
Law Day
PLIAN attended and
displayed at the law
day event at the
Avalon mall on
April 17, 2009
which was hosted by
the
Canadian Bar
Association. A
passerby browses
PLIAN’s display
(above), while our
youngest Law Day
visitor says hello.
Educating you about the Law
Out and About in the Community
Annual Report 2009-2010
10
Community Events
April 17, 2009 - displayed at the Law Day activities at the Avalon Mall.
May 15, 2009 - PLIAN presented to 120 students at Vanier Elementary.
May 26, 2009 - presented on the topic of Family Law to a skills link program at Buckmaster’s Circle Community Centre.
September 22, 2009 - presented at Masonic Park on the topic of Wills & Estates, Enduring Power of Attorney and Advance Health
Care Directives
October 20, 2009 - presented at Hoyles Escasoni on the topic of Wills & Estates, Enduring Power of Attorney and Advance
Health Care Directives
November 18, 2009 - presented at the Bar Admission Course at the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador.
December 11, 2009 - PLIAN was involved in presenting at a continuing legal education seminar at the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador.
January 7, 2010 - PLIAN hosted an open house at our office where we discussed PLIAN’s services with various community
groups.
January 20, 2010 - presented at Booth Memorial High.
January 27, 2010 - presented at the Newfoundland and Labrador Correctional Centre for Women (a pilot of the Family Law Information for Rural Communities Project)
January 29, 2010 - presented at the Sheshatshiu Innu School.
February 12, 2010 - presented at Bishop Abraham School.
February 16, 2010 - PLIAN delivered family law presentation in Rigolet.
February 18, 2010 - PLIAN delivered family law presentation in Cartwright.
February 26, 2010 - presented at Beachy Cove Elementary School.
March 5, 2010 - presented at Bishop Feild School.
March 11, 2010 - PLIAN delivered family law presentation in Labrador City.
March 19, 2010 - presented at Cowan Heights School.
March 25, 2010 - PLIAN delivered family law presentation on Bell Island.
March 31, 2010 - PLIAN delivered family law presentation in Paradise.
In Memoriam
PLIAN staff would like to express sincere condolences to
the family of Eugene Upshall. Eugene passed away on
June 5th, 2010. Eugene worked with PLIAN as a MUN
intern, and continued as a volunteer. Eugene did amazing
work during his time at PLIAN and was a true joy to
have around the office. He always put a smile on
everyone's face. We feel so honored that we were
fortunate enough to have worked with such a fantastic,
diverse, kind, funny, and intelligent person. He became a
friend and we miss him dearly.
11
Statement of Operations of Public Legal Information Association of NL
2010
2009
Federal Department of Justice
70,000
70,000
Victims of Family Violence
45,443
-
Law Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador
45,000
45,000
Family Law Information Session
41,150
-
Youth Justice Camp
38,010
8,840
Court of Appeal Project—NL Dept. of Justice Grant
25,000
-
Family Law Guide - Reprint
10,000
-
PLEAC Conference 2009
5,698
-
Family Law Website
5,000
-
Criminal Justice Training Workshop
5,000
-
Lawyer Referral Fees
2,160
1,400
Legal Interpreters Project
-
31,040
Canada Revenue Agency
-
16,735
Supreme Court Project
-
15,000
National Judicial Institute
-
9,836
Family Violence Project
-
5,024
Child Centered Family Justice
-
4,250
DVD Parenting Project
-
2,500
Community Youth Network
-
1,700
1,159
2,117
293,620
213,442
Salaries and Benefits
95,086
93,072
Victims of Family Violence
45,443
-
Youth Justice Camp
41,919
4,926
Family Law Information Session
40,605
-
Miscellaneous
Total
Expenses
Court of Appeal Project
15,000
-
Rent
13,900
12,421
Family Law Guide Reprint
10,379
-
Supreme Court Project
6,079
-
PLEAC Conference 2009
5,697
-
Criminal Justice Training Workshop
4,798
-
Family Law Website
4,729
-
Telephone
3,344
3,338
Professional Fees
3,195
2,939
Insurance
2,415
2,570
Travel
2,319
2,956
Memberships and Dues
724
370
Bank Charges
535
741
Office Supplies and Stationary
313
244
Legal Interpreters Project
-
29,819
Canada Revenue Agency
-
16,743
National Judicial Institute
-
10,426
Family Violence Project
-
5,024
Child Centered Family Justice
-
4,255
DVD Parenting Project
-
2,500
Community Youth Network
-
1,700
Board and Committee
-
855
Courier and Postage
-
195
647
1,571
297,127
196,665
Miscellaneous Expenses
Total
Educating you about the Law
Revenue
Annual Report 2009-2010
12
Thank You
PLIAN has had another tremendously successful year in 2009-2010. We
want to extend a sincere ‘Thank You’ to everyone who has supported our
organization and our various projects. We would like to offer a special
appreciation to our Board of Directors who consistently volunteer their time
and support us in everything we do. We look forward to continued
success in 2010-2011!
Suite 227, 31 Peet Street, Tara Place
St. John’s, NL, A1B 3W8
Phone: 709-722-2643
Toll Free: 1-888-660-7788
Fax: 709-722-0054
[email protected]
www.publiclegalinfo.com