IBA Concerned About Motives For New Judicial Appointments Process

Read the PressRelease

Letter to Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Justice

Read the Letter

Submissions to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights regarding the demise of the Law Commission of Canada

Read the Submissions

IBA Announces 19th Annual Fall Conference focusing on Indigenous Legal Traditions

SASKATOON, SK, Oct. 21, 2006 – Indigenous Bar Association President, Jeffery Hewitt, announced to IBA fall conference delegates today the location and theme for the 19th annual IBA fall conference.  “The IBA is pleased to announce that, in keeping with the direction received from membership and the IPC, the 19th annual IBA fall conference shall focus on Indigenous Legal Traditions and will be co-hosted with the University of Victoria Faculty of Law.”  The 2007 annual conference is scheduled for October 18-20, 2007 in Victoria, BC.  Further information regarding the 2007 annual conference will be provided through the IBA website and newsletter over the coming months.  

The Fall 2006 Edition and the Special 2006 Student Edition of the IBA Newsletter are now available!

View the IBA Fall Newsletter 2006

View the Special 2006 Student Edition of the IBA Newsletter

Media Release: Access to Justice Stifled by Harper's New Government

RAMA, ON, Sept. 28 /CNW/ - "Tuesday's announcement by the Conservative Government of their intention to eviscerate the Law Commission of Canada and the Court Challenges Program, is a blow to access to justice for Aboriginal people and indeed all Canadians", said Indigenous Bar Association President, Jeffery Hewitt.

Yesterday Prime Minister Harper's New Government announced its plans to "eliminate wasteful and ineffective programs", including, among others, two key institutions promoting access to justice: the Law Commission of Canada and the Court Challenges Program.

View full media release

Call for Papers: Scow Institute Call for Papers on Aboriginal Issues

The Scow Institute for Communicating Information on Aboriginal Issues ("Scow Institute") issues a call for research papers ("Research Papers") and fact sheets ("Fact Sheets") with respect to several subject areas affecting Aboriginal people. The Scow Institute works towards greater understanding between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples through information that is fact based, non-partisan, and accessible on topical issues that affect all Canadians.

View the Call for Papers

Presentation to AFN Indian Residential School Conference

The IBA presented to the AFN Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement Conference for Frontline Workers in Vancouver, BC on September 12th, 2006. The IBA presentation addressed Lawyers' Roles & Responsibilities in light of the May 8, 2006 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.

View the presentation and related links

Membership Surveys

The IBA Board is seeking input from all Indigenous law school students and law school graduates to help us further improve the IBA and ensure it is responsive to our membership’s needs.  Complete an on-line survey and enter your name to win $300 credit towards your 2007 IBA conference fees.  The survey takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.  Your feedback is important to us.

Law School Students Survey

Law School Graduates Survey

Paid and Volunteer Opportunities for Indigenous Law Grads

The Opportunities page on our website is updated regularly with postings from various organizations and businesses.  If you have a job or volunteer position that you would like to have posted on our website contact our Administrator .  We encourage our members to visit the Opportunities page regularly.

NSAHRC Hate Crimes Symposium Report – Now Available

The National Secretariat Against Hate & Racism in Canada, a national initiative of the IBA and diverse ethno-racial and faith-based community organizations to combat racism, commissioned papers and held a symposium in October 2005 on Hate Crimes, the Criminal Code and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms at Rama Mnjikaning First Nation, Ontario.  The final report is now available.

View the report

Current Judicial Vacancies

Further to the work the IBA has done on the issue of Indigenous appointments to Canadian courts (see “Judicial Appointments” below), the Ontario Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee has asked that several judicial vacancies be brought to our membership’s attention. 

For more information visit the “Job Postings and Other Opportunities” page which can be accessed through the “Opportunities” area of our home page (see below right).  Postings for these and other legal positions are updated regularly.

Indigenous Lawyers Honoured

Several members of the IBA have recently been honoured by institutions such as the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation and the University of Toronto. 

 Visit the NAAF website

Professor Darlene Johnston and Jean Teillet were recently recognized by the University of Toronto as “Trailblazers in the Legal Profession.” On International Women's Day, March 8th, 2006, the U of T Faculty of Law unveiled a permanent photo exhibit celebrating 19 remarkable women graduates who are trailblazers in the legal profession.

 Visit the U of T Law website

Indigenous Law Students Participate in National Moot

Indigenous law students from across Canada participated in “Kawaskimhon: Speaking with Knowledge”, the National Aboriginal Rights Moot in Canada on March 2nd-4th, 2006 in Toronto. Osgoode Hall Law School hosted the Moot which explored a consensus based resolution to a labour dispute at a casino on a First Nation.

 Visit the Moot website

Judicial Appointments

The IBA has been actively advocating for judicial appointments of Indigenous jurists to all appellate levels of Canadian Courts, and in particular to the Supreme Court of Canada. The IBA has commissioned several papers, made submissions to Parliamentary Committees, worked in partnership with other organizations and engaged in other activities to advocate for these Indigenous appointments to the Bench.

For more information re Judicial Appointments

Justice Harry S. LaForme of the Ontario Court of Appeal - the First Indigenous Judge Appointed to a Court of Appeal in a Commonwealth Country

IBA awards the 2005 Indigenous Peoples’ Counsel (I.P.C.) distinction to James (Sakej) Youngblood Henderson …read more

The Indigenous Bar Association in Canada (IBA) is a non-profit professional organization for Indian, Inuit and Métis persons trained in the field of law.

Its membership consist of Indigenous lawyers (practicing and non-practicing), judges, law professors, legal consultants and law students.

As the field of Indigenous law develops, the public is becoming more aware and interested in Indigenous legal issues. The IBA plays an active role in promoting the development of Indigenous law and supporting Indigenous legal practitioners.

Find out more about the IBA by reviewing the objectives and by-laws of the Association.

19th Annual IBA Conference
October 18 - 20, 2007
Victoria, BC

To view conference details