Western Bar CPD

September 11 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Elkhorn Resort, Clear Lake, MB
5 CPD

Register

Register for the Western Bar AGM Events directly with the WMBA.

Join us for a day of learning and connection, in an informal and collegial setting. Hot breakfast, refreshments, and program materials included! Enjoy the popular View from the Bench, and learn more about this year’s topics:

Using recent cases from Manitoba and across Canada, this session will look at what makes a waiver of the right to counsel valid, delays in accessing a lawyer, when a second consultation may be needed, and when evidence may be excluded after a Charter breach. It will also consider how factors such as age, language, culture, mental health, cognitive ability, and intoxication can affect whether someone understands and exercises their rights.

The Disclosure to Protect Against Intimate Partner Violence Act, also known as Clare’s Law, came into force on March 1, 2026. In Manitoba, Clare’s Law provides pathways for people at risk of intimate partner violence to access an intimate or romantic partner’s documented history of intimate partner violence, safety planning, and connections to public and community-based supports. This session will provide an overview of the legislation and how the program works.

Learn how the e-SAFeR guide can help family law professionals better understand family violence, including coercive controlling behaviour, and it’s impacts on children, co-parenting, and parenting arrangements. The session will provide an overview on how the guide can help inform parenting plans that focus on the best interests of the child.

Learn about the Family Resolution Service (FRS), a branch within Manitoba Justice, that offers free legal and social supports, including out-of-court resolution options, to families navigating separation, divorce and/or family violence. The session will provide an overview of the services offered.

We’ve intentionally kept the registration fee low to encourage participation from lawyers across a broad range of practice areas. While not every topic will be directly relevant to every attendee, the program provides valuable opportunities to connect with colleagues, exchange ideas, and strengthen professional relationships.
Presenters

Judge Patrick Sullivan
Provincial Court of Manitoba

Alex Burnett
Manitoba Justice, Family Resolution Service

Richard Lonstrup
Manitoba Justice, Public Prosecution

Terri-Lynne Paculan
Manitoba Justice, Family Resolution Service

John Rutherford
Legal Aid Manitoba, Phoenix Community Law Centre

Presented in Partnership