Access to Justice

Committed to building connections and using a collaborative approach to better respond to the legal needs and interests of all Nunavummiut.

The Law Society of Nunavut is committed to connecting Nunavummiut to relevant resources and information that will help increase their understanding of their rights and get the legal help they need. This will be achieved by providing access to public legal education and information resources, as well as undertaking research and public awareness campaigns regarding legal initiatives relevant to Nunavummiut.

Projects and Initiatives

The Access to Legal Knowledge initiative was officially launched on Saturday, February 7th, 2015 in partnership with Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik Legal Services. This launch was also in celebration of Maliiganik’s 40th anniversary. 

Public Legal Information Resources

Understanding the Nunavut Court Process 

Human Rights - English | Inuktitut

Employment - English | Inuktitut

Eviction - English | Inuktitut

Youth - English | Inuktitut

This project aims to raise public awareness in Nunavut about harassment and violence in the workplace, and what to do about it. This includes sexual harassment, discrimination-based harassment, and gender-based violence in the workplace.

In coordination with participating communities, in-person workshops using a Nunavut-specific trauma-informed approach are being offered in various communities to help people recognize:

  • what workplace harassment and violence is
  • what their legal rights are (as well as what their employers’ responsibilities are)
  • what they can do about it
  • Inuit-specific mental wellness tips while going through these processes

In addition to workshops, pro-bono legal clinics are also available for any community members seeking one-on-one consultations with a lawyer.

Public legal education and information resources are also being developed as part of this project, including videos, posters, audio programs, booklets, resource sheets, and a guide for employers.

For updates, follow us on Facebook.

The Law Society of Nunavut is inviting its Members to Stand Together!

November 25- December 10 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence

December 6 The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

What to share?

  • Take a picture of your team holding the poster
  • Please send us your pictures by December 8.

How to share and where?

  • Pictures will be shared on our Facebook page.
  • You can send your picture to support@lawsociety.nu.ca or on Messenger on our Facebook page.
  • You can post your picture on your own social media with the hashtag #LawyersBreakingTheSilence and tag our page.

In the spring of 2019, the Law Society of Nunavut and Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada (Pauktuutit) joined forces to undertake a project that would break the silence on family violence in Nunavut. 

Funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario and the Department of Justice Canada, this project involves a research study and an awareness campaign on the Family Abuse Intervention Act (FAIA). FAIA was created in Nunavut, based on Inuit principles and values, to prevent family abuse by providing Nunavummiut with the opportunity to get different types of orders to deal with family abuse, including Emergency Protection Orders against the abuser, and Community Intervention Orders.

The goal of this project is to understand the legal barriers and needs of Inuit women dealing with family violence in Nunavut.

Project Objectives

  • Support Nunavummiut in recognizing family violence
  • Provide Nunavummiut with a better understanding of what they can do to deal with family violence, including available options
  • Understand how the Family Abuse Intervention Action is, or is not, meeting the needs of Inuit women deal with domestic abuse
  • Open dialogue amongst Nunavummiut about what constitutes family violence, how to recognize family violence and what can be done to address family violence

The project consists of research study that informed an awareness campaign launched in March 2021. The research study component of this project build more evidence on what is known on how the implementation of the Family Abuse Intervention Act  is, or is not, meeting the needs of Inuit women experiencing family violence.

Read the Final Report on Access to Justice on Family Violence in Nunavut launched on March 8, 2022:  English; Inuktitut.