The New Litigants

Professor Julie Macfarlane's "The New Litigants" on The NationalProfessor Julie Macfarlane's "The New Litigants" on The National

Professor Julie Macfarlane's National Self-Represented Litigants Project has shown that while a growing number of Canadians are filing their own lawsuits and representing themselves in court, the results are often disappointing. A nineteen-minute documentary created by the CBC's The National with Dr. Macfarlane illustrates the challenges experienced by self-reps through real cases and interviews. 

Dr. Macfarlane worked for several weeks with a CBC TV crew investigating the SRL phenomenon, under the direction of veteran (and former Fifth Estate) Executive Producer Diane Grant. Filming took place locally in Windsor and Kingsville, and also in Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Alberta where interviews were conducted with SRLs and legal system “insiders”.

“The New Litigants” aired on New Year’s Eve. 

Click here to see the video.

For more on Dr. Macfarlane's National Self-Represented Litigants Project, click here