A first in Canada: A-Link
The justice system is much like the health system, in that it is required to respond immediately to the demands of Albertans when assistance is required, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
When emergencies arise, Albertans are well aware they need to call 911 for assistance. Beyond this, many are often unsure of where to go to seek additional justice-related help and instead find themselves leafing through the telephone book, contacting wrong numbers or searching on the internet.
Thanks to collaboration between Alberta Justice and partners, Albertans now have quick and easy access to justice information through A-Link: Alberta's Law-related Information Network - a first of its kind online database in Canada.
"Albertans told us that they wanted increased access to information on justice-related programs and services," said Justice Minister Dave Hancock. "This directory will provide valuable assistance to users of the database in finding the information they need quickly and easily at any time, day or night."
A-Link is designed from a user's perspective and can be searched by organization, topic, and location on a variety of programs and services. For example a troubled teen can use A-Link to find the location of the nearest youth program, or a parent can use it to find out about the mediation services available in Alberta.
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Justice Minister Dave Hancock launches A-Link with the assistance of University of ALberta student Ela Barylski. |
In addition, A-Link also helps teachers locate public legal education services such as the Justice Education Speakers Centre - a resource designed for teachers who want to help their students learn more about the justice system through the expertise of a legal expert.
A-Link is a partnership project between Alberta Justice and the Legal Studies Program in the Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta. The John Howard Society of Alberta also provided valuable assistance in obtaining data for the directory. A-Link is available through the Alberta Justice homepage at www.justice.gov.ab.ca.
