One in every six Canadian are over the age of 65[i] and just over 7.6 million Canadians have a mother tongue that is not an official language[ii]. These statistics indicate that our population is not only aging but that the delivery of legal services must keep up with Canada’s increasingly diverse population in order to continue to be relevant.
Our client’s first entry point into the legal system often occurs in our office. As lawyers with professional obligations to provide services to the general public, it is important for us to become culturally competent. What this means is that we should have the relevant knowledge and awareness of our clients’ diverse backgrounds.
Culture intersects with multiple descriptors such as gender, sexuality, age, national origin and socioeconomic status, among others. These descriptors affect an individual’s behaviour, values and perceptions. A service-delivery approach that balances these factors is required to understand the values underlying complex individual identities.
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