Document Type
Report
Publication Date
2017
Abstract
From 2011-2013, Dr. Julie Macfarlane conducted a study about experiences of self- representation in Canada in three provinces, Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. She conducted detailed personal interviews and/or focus group interviews with 259 self-represented litigants (SRLs). Since the Study’s release in 2013 – “The National Self-Represented Litigants Project: Identifying and Meeting the Needs of Self-Represented Litigants” – SRLs continue to contact the National Self-Represented Litigants Project (NSRLP). This led the research team to develop an “Intake Form” in SurveyMonkey, in order to collect information from SRLs across Canada. While the data provided in the Intake Forms is less detailed and the SurveyMonkey format offers less context than the original study interviews, the questionnaire tracks SRL demographics using the same variables, such as income, education level and party status. The Intake Form also provides a glimpse into SRL personal experiences based on a final question which is “open format”. NSRLP is committed to regular reporting on this data. Our last effort spanned from March 2014-2015. This Report presents our latest data from 73 respondents (collected from April 01 2015-December 31, 2016). Additionally, in this Report, we shall compare what we see in this new data to the same variables reported in both the 2013 Research Report, and in the 2014-2015 Intake Report.