Podcasts

#116 | Justice Without Barriers Series — Disability, Accessibility, and the Courts

Access to Justice – Jun 2026

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#116 | Justice Without Barriers Series — Disability, Accessibility, and the Courts
Broadcast Date: June 3, 2026

EPISODE SUMMARY | JUSTICE WITHOUT BARRIERS SERIES | BIOGRAPHIES | RELATED DOCUMENTATION

EPISODE SUMMARY

Universal accessibility should be the norm — so why does it remain the exception?

In this episode, Sarah Rowe, Legal Counsel at CIAJ, speaks with the Honourable Justice Joshua B. Hawkes of the Court of Appeal of Alberta about the lived realities of people with disabilities within the justice system and the legal profession.

Drawing on his own experience as a person living with a disability, Justice Hawkes reflects on the biases, institutional barriers, and day-to-day challenges faced in environments rarely designed with all realities in mind.

Together, they explore what accessibility truly means — not only in theory, but in practice — and consider how lived experience can reshape our understanding of inclusion, equity, and the role of institutions.

Guest

The Honourable Justice Joshua B. Hawkes, Court of Appeal of Alberta

Host

Sarah Rowe, Legal Counsel, CIAJ

Justice Without Barriers Series

To mark the 2026 National AccessAbility Week, the Justice Without Barriers Series brings together podcasts, blogs, and other contents to highlight the initiatives, innovations, and people who are transforming justice in Canada—from plain language to technology, from personal experiences to best practices.

Content:

Podcast (in english) | Justice Without Barriers Series — Disability, Accessibility, and the Courts
Podcast (in French) | Justice Without Barriers Series — Plain language: A key to accessibility
Blog | Justice Without Barriers Series — From Formal Access to True Accessibility: Innovating in Law Through Engagement with Litigants

BIOGRAPHIES

The Honourable Justice Joshua B. Hawkes

Court of Appeal of Alberta

Justice Joshua B. Hawkes was first appointed to the Alberta Court of Justice in 2017 and served as the Assistant Chief Justice for the Calgary Criminal and Regional Division of that court at the time of his appointment to the Alberta Court of Appeal in April of 2024. Prior to his appointment he served in the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service as appellate counsel, criminal law policy director and in other leadership roles. He was also president of the Uniform Law Conference of Canada at the time of his initial appointment.

He is actively involved in judicial education, serving as a faculty member for the Newly Appointed Provincial and Territorial Judges Skills Seminar, at several other NJI courses and CIAJ initiatives.

Sarah Rowe

Legal Counsel, CIAJ

Sarah is a graduate of University of Ottawa’s Common Law program, having previously obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. She articled at Legal Aid NL and is a member of the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. Throughout law school, Sarah worked as a student intern at CIAJ. In her new position as legal counsel, Sarah is responsible for assisting with the development and management of CIAJ projects, including the research and analysis of legislation, court decisions, and government policies. In this role, she also engages with law students and law faculties to ensure relevancy and legal accuracy of CIAJ’s educational programs. In her free time, Sarah enjoys volunteering, playing guitar, and supporting local theatre.