New Canadian Network for Evidence-Based Legal Research

The Canadian Forum on Civil Justice website mentions a new Research in Action program devoted to "[D]eveloping the capacity to conduct evidence-based socio-legal research":

"Historically, issues of civil justice have been subordinated to criminal justice in terms of investment, research and media attention. During the last decade, however, there has been international recognition of the fundamental importance of civil justice systems. As interest in civil justice systems has increased, so has awareness of the need for high quality evidence-based socio-legal research. There is, however, a lack of socio-legal research capacity, both within Canada and internationally, especially in the many areas of non-criminal social research".

"In recognition of this need, the Law Foundation of British Columbia provided funding for a pilot project aimed at developing networks for evidence-based social research about systems of justice and related legal issues. Ultimately this project is intended to support our Research in Action program by developing a national network of socio-legal researchers. Although the Forum mandate concerns civil justice, we are aware that the need to increase socio-legal research capacity extends also to administrative and criminal justice areas. We therefore welcome researchers focusing on any of these legal areas to participate in the socio-legal network events and database".

The Forum has created a prototype for a database of socio-legal researchers and justice community members who want to collaborate in relevant research initiatives. The official database will be launched at the end of November 2007.