Conferences Committee Government & Judicial Relations Committee Access to Justice in Canada Committee Membership Committee Nominating Committee Professional Development Committee Public Outreach Committee

Mandate and source of funding

• Contribute to the elimination of any barriers that might prevent all Canadians from having equal access to administrative justice.
• Examine any and all barriers that might prevent equal access. These barriers include, but are not limited to, low-literacy skills, physical disability, and ethno-cultural issues.

Since its inception in 2003 as the Literacy and Access to Administrative Justice in Canada Committee, the committee has completed two phases of a project to address the inadequate literacy skills of some applicants, a situation that makes it difficult for them to participate meaningfully in the adjudication process. Both phases were funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC).

Through this project, CCAT has published two manuals. The first, published in 2005, is Literacy and Access to Administrative Justice in Canada. It gives an overview of the state of literacy in Canada and introduces readers to plain language. The second, published in 2007, is Introduction to Administrative Justice and to Plain Language. This guide contains plain language techniques, a description of the administrative justice system in Canada, and a glossary of terms specific to administrative tribunals.

Phase 2 also enabled us to train tribunal personnel to better understand the challenges faced by low-literacy applicants. Regional and national workshops were conducted and CCAT developed distance education materials (online courses) as well as plain-language written materials, forms, and documents for use by tribunal members and staff.

To view these publications, please visit Literacy Publications