Reimagining the Justice System 

Reimagining the Justice System was a multi-session program supported by the Law Commission of Canada and hosted by Downtown Legal Services (DLS). A group of youth from the Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS) program met with lawyers from DLS and took part in discussions exploring issues of law and justice. In the first half of the program, participants learned about common legal issues and challenges people may encounter when engaging with the legal system. 

In the remaining sessions, artist Andre Lopez guided the youth through a culminating art project based on the theme “What I want the legal system to look like.” Working individually or with others, the participants painted, sculpted, or created multi-media pieces that expressed their visions for the justice system. 

On Wednesday, October 8, youth participants, along with representatives from OJEN, DLS, the University of Toronto, the Law Commission of Canada, Street Art Toronto, the LAWS program and members of the arts community, met at the offices of DLS to celebrate the creativity and perspectives of the youth. The artwork is currently on display at the office of Downtown Legal Services.

Special thanks to Nat Jaczek for her vision and dedication in bringing this project to life.