The Young Bars of Quebec are Mobilizing

Montreal, February 21, 2024 – The Young Bar of Montreal (“YBM”), the Young Bar of Quebec (“YBQ”), and the Association of Young Bars in the Regions (“AJBR”) (collectively “The Young Bars of Quebec”) are mobilizing from January 19th to 21st as part of the Rencontres Action Jeunesse (“RAJ”), an event organized by Force Jeunesse. During these three intensive days, the Young Bars will participate in various training activities in public relations and government affairs, and most importantly, will have the opportunity to meet with public office holders from various political parties to share the concerns of young lawyers in Quebec and offer potential solutions.

The Young Bars of Quebec are uniting their voices to address four major issues.

Right to Disconnect

Last year, a survey commissioned by the Young Bar of Quebec revealed that 70% of respondents and members of the Young Bars of Quebec reported feeling pressure to remain connected outside of regular working hours. For the vast majority of respondents, disconnecting policies are nonexistent in their organizations. In response to the results of its survey, the Young Bars of Quebec are joining forces to urge the government to legislate to assert the right to disconnect for all employees in Quebec and to require employers to adopt a disconnect policy, similar to Ontario and certain European countries such as France and Belgium.

Legal Aid Fee Reform

The Young Bars of Quebec are also rallying to denounce the government's inaction and lack of flexibility during negotiations related to the reform of legal aid fees. Despite the sustained efforts of the Independent Committee on Legal Aid Fees (CITAJ) to reach a consensus, the government continues to refuse to implement the necessary changes to guarantee access to justice for all Quebecers.

Tax Credit for Legal Fees

In the interest of access to justice, the Young Bars of Quebec are joining forces with the Quebec Bar to request the government to implement a tax credit for legal fees. In fact, the population, especially the middle class, which does not have access to legal aid, would benefit from measures aimed at reducing the costs inherent to legal representation and thus promote access to justice.

Security in Courthouses

Finally, the Young Bars will strongly advocate for the government to increase security in the courthouses of Quebec, similar to Montreal. Unlike the major metropolis, the rest of Quebec lacks adequate security in courthouses, which recently led to a violent attack on an interpreter in Longueuil, targeted because of their affiliation with the judicial community. This situation could have certainly been avoided with proper security in the courthouse.

In the coming days, the Young Bars of Quebec will work together to meet with various elected officials and make these pressing issues known, which closely affect the legal community in Quebec.

 Group photo, from left to right: Me Joey Suri, President of the Young Bar of Montreal, Me Frédérique Earls-Bélanger, President of the Association of Young Bars in the Regions, and Me Gabriel Dumais, President of the Young Bar of Quebec.

About the JBM

Founded in 1898, the JBM brings together lawyers practicing in Montreal for ten years or less. With over 6,000 members, the JBM represents one-third of the lawyers called to the Montreal Bar. This makes it one of the largest associations of young lawyers in the world, in terms of numbers for a single city. Its mission is twofold. On the one hand, it defends and promotes the interests of its members. On the other, it provides legal information to the public on a pro bono basis, and offers a number of services to help Quebecers gain access to justice. To find out more about our commitments to the public, visit the Services to the public section of our website: http://ajbm.qc.ca.

Information and interviews :

Christina Solodukhin | 514 954-6936 | csolodukhin@ajbm.qc.ca |

Communications and Public Relations Manager

Young Bar Association of Montreal