The roadmap shows the amount indicated by my colleague, that is $41 million, and an additional investment of $20 million that was allocated specifically for training to improve the language skills of people working in the justice system and to recruit and train young bilingual Canadians considering a career in justice.
In order to properly allocate this investment, the Justice Department commissioned an analysis, which was conducted in 2008 and 2009, with the participation, contribution and collaboration of all provinces and territories. The report, entitled Canada-Wide Analysis of Official Language Training Needs in the Area of Justice, has provided Justice Canada with strategic information and avenues to help consolidate the training activities already undertaken and focus efforts in areas where needs are only partially met.
Thus new funding applicants for projects and initiatives designed to address the needs identified are being added to the department's long list of partners.
In the last few months new projects have been received from universities and non-governmental organizations that provide direct services to the population. We wish to present a few specific examples.
The Centre canadien de français juridique offers legal training to justice system stakeholders, including crown prosecutors, probation officers and court clerks. The centre is currently helping develop and design a specialized training program adapted to the needs and realities of criminal court judges. It is also developing electronic tools and resources for continuing education and skills maintenance. The centre makes a positive and concrete contribution to the number of justice stakeholders who are able to provide services in both official languages, which corresponds exactly to the areas for government action identified in the roadmap.
The Canada-wide analysis suggested that the law schools of the Canadian universities offer courses specifically on the practice of law in both official languages. The University of Manitoba and the University of Alberta have decided to improve their law program by offering courses to help students learn French legal terminology and acquire knowledge and skills in the practice of law in French.
The University of Alberta has developed partnerships with English-speaking organizations for the creation of a community justice centre whose objective is to promote access to justice by serving as a one-stop resource for information, support, and guidance for citizens dealing with a law issue. This project is developed jointly with the Centre for Public Legal Education of Alberta, which also receives a contribution from the support fund to develop tools and resources to inform the English-speaking community of the linguistic rights of the francophone minority, and to provide simplified, accessible, and adapted information on access to justice in both official languages.
These projects, like many others funded by the support fund, aim the services directly at Canadians without going through the more traditional forums, such as courts and lawyers.
Éducaloi has been active in the area of legal education and information in Quebec for many years. The support fund contributes financially to Éducaloi's activities as part of its offer of services to Quebec's anglophone community, more specifically in the development of its website.
Éducaloi's work is based on an approach that is adapted to the needs of this clientele rather than one based on translation. This enables Éducaloi to reach Quebec's anglophone and allophone communities whose first official language spoken is English.
The Association des juristes d'expression française de l'Ontario, better known by the acronym AJEFO, is recognized as an organization serving not only Ontario's francophone community, but all French-speaking citizens outside Quebec. AJEFO launched its website, www.cliquezjustice.ca, on February 22.
That constitutes a portal for French legal information for the general public. It targets the needs not only of Ontario's French-speaking population but also of francophones in all the other provinces as well. The component related to other provinces will be operational later this year, as the process is currently being validated with provincial partners. What is different about this portal and the information it contains is its target clientele. It's specifically aimed at elementary and high school students and their teachers and counsellors. It offers games and learning resources for students and tools specifically designed for teachers.
The general public will also have access to legal informational matters of law in clear and simplified language. Once the information from the other provinces is validated, the French-speaking population in these provinces will also have access to the same information the Franco-Ontarian population has. This step is expected to be completed in the coming months.