EST
2015
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What is ACE?
The Access to Justice Centre for Excellence (ACE) is an academic research institute located at the University of Victoria Faculty of Law. ACE is focused on applied research that seeks practical resolutions to improve access to justice in Canada.
Mission
To support, promote and facilitate scholarly research and education on Access to Justice in Canada.
Vision
A Canada in which there is access to justice for all.
News and Events
Andrew Pilliar Appointed Director of Research for One Year Term at BC ACE
We are pleased to announce that Andrew Pilliar has joined BC ACE for a one year term as Director of Research.
Andrew is an Associate Professor at Thompson Rivers University with expertise in access to justice. His research examines innovative models for improving the legal services market and addressing lawyer career dissatisfaction. Prior to academia, Andrew practiced litigation and insolvency law and clerked for the BC Supreme Court. He is the founder of the Access to Justice Research Network and has published widely on topics including pro bono work and graduate legal education.
Andrew holds law degrees from UBC and the University of Toronto, along with a science degree from Queen’s University. He has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including UBC’s Public Scholar Award.
We look forward to Andrew's leadership in advancing access to justice research at BC ACE.
Sarah Sutherland Joins BC ACE as Research Associate
BC ACE is excited to announce that Sarah A. Sutherland has joined the Centre as a Research Associate.
Sarah is a renowned writer, speaker, and executive in the fields of legal technology, information, and publishing. She is the founder and principal consultant at Parallax Information Consulting, where she specializes in legal data strategy. Her notable book, Legal Data and Information in Practice: How Data and the Law Interact, was published by Routledge in 2022.
In addition to being recognized as one of the Fastcase 50 in 2022, Sarah received the prestigious Dennis Marshall Award for Excellence in Law Librarianship from the Canadian Association of Law Libraries in 2023. Currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, Sarah brings a wealth of experience and insight to BC ACE, where she will contribute to advancing research in access to justice.
New Special Issue on Access to Justice Published in the Canadian Journal of Law and Society
We are proud to announce the release of the latest special issue of the Canadian Journal of Law and Society / La Revue Canadienne Droit et Société, titled “Person‑Centred Justice: Reimagining Law, Institutions, and Process”—now available in open access via Cambridge University Press.
The special issue explores person-centred justice through interdisciplinary contributions that critically examine how legal systems and institutions might better respond to the needs of the people they serve. It explores a range of topics —including international policy norms, digital access tools, and procedural reform—through the lens of justice grounded in the user experience.
The special issue was guest edited by Dr. Andrew Pilliar and Dr. Michelle Lawrence, who also co-authored the introduction. ACE congratulates them for their work. It represents a significant contribution to Canadian access to justice scholarship, one which will help to shape and inspire future research and innovation in the field.
