Pathways to Justice: Strengthening Legal Advocacy for Police Accountability
This gathering brings together legal professionals and advocates to explore how the law can serve as a tool for justice and transformation. Rooted in dialogue, learning and collective problem-solving, the event will examine the effectiveness and limitations of current legal and administrative mechanisms in holding police accountable.
Through an interactive workshop and an evening panel conversation, participants will reflect on the systemic barriers faced, particularly by low-income and marginalized communities, when navigating police oversight systems. The program invites reflection on emerging strategies, community-based advocacy and the power of collaboration to shift systems.
By bridging legal expertise with lived experience, this event aims to spark new possibilities for meaningful change, offering concrete pathways to strengthen legal advocacy and drive accountability in policing.
Presenters:
Ron MacDonald (in person) Ron MacDonald is a recently retired lawyer with over 39 years of experience in Canada’s criminal justice system. He served as both a Crown prosecutor and defence counsel in Nova Scotia before becoming the founding Director of the province’s Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT). He later led British Columbia’s Independent Investigations Office (IIO) as Chief Civilian Director until 2024. With 13 years in police oversight leadership—Canada’s longest tenure—Ron brings unmatched insight into systemic accountability, policy reform, and the complexities of independent investigations. He is a past president of both the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society and the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and has received multiple national awards for his legal and community service.
Jatin Shory (in person) Jatin Shory is a partner at Shory Law LLP and a leader in immigration and administrative law. Based in Calgary, his advocacy spans local and international contexts, including government advisory roles on policy and legal strategy. Jatin brings a community-centered perspective on how legal systems interact with marginalized populations—particularly racialized newcomers—and how advocacy can be mobilized through and beyond the courts.
Amy Matychuk (virtually) Amy Matychuk is the founder of Prison and Police Law, a Calgary-based practice focused on police misconduct and prison justice. Her litigation and administrative law work centers the rights of criminalized individuals, and she actively contributes to systemic change through her roles with the Alberta Prison Justice Society and the Canadian Prison Law Association. Amy offers insight into civil and administrative approaches to misconduct, grounded in lived realities of carceral harm.
Magdalene Scaglione (in person) is a recent graduate of the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law. During her studies, she completed a practicum with the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights through the Low Income & the Law course, and served as a researcher for the 2023–24 Jessup Moot. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Thompson Rivers University, where she graduated with distinction and received the TRU Arts Merit Award. Magdalene is passionate about using the law to advance social justice and support individuals facing economic hardship.