Enforcing your Legal Rights in the Yukon

The Yukon, a vast territory in northern Canada, boasts a unique legal system that blends elements of both Canadian common law and Indigenous legal traditions.

The legal system in the Yukon is rooted in Canadian law, specifically the Constitution Act, 1867, which grants powers to both the federal and territorial governments. The Yukon's legal system encompasses both statutory laws and common law principles developed through court decisions. Additionally, the Yukon has made significant efforts to recognize and incorporate Indigenous legal traditions into its legal framework.

Access to Justice

The Yukon's vastness and remote communities present unique challenges for lawyers and individual’s seeking access to justice. 

Recently the legal profession, amongst others, have made large strides to accommodate remote/virtual telecommunications in what has traditionally been an industry that has historically been very slow to adapt to new technologies.  Where once lawyers would need to travel long distances by plane or car to meet with their clients or to attend court hearings, now video conferencing, paperless practices and electronic transfer of documents has made access to justice in the Yukon more practicable and affordable than it has historically been.

However, like many remote regions, the Yukon still faces access to justice issues.  There are limited legal resources, including the availability of legal aid, which can make it extremely difficult for individuals and communities to access the legal representation they need should they have to enforce their legal rights.

Lawyers in the Yukon

Lawyers in the Yukon play a vital role in representing clients, providing legal advice, and advocating for justice. There is a relatively small bar of lawyers who live in the Yukon and their practices often relate to environmental and resource development in light of the rich natural resources that are found in the Yukon, legal issues relating to the Government, insurance companies, business transactions, and Indigenous rights.  Yukon lawyers often collaborate with Indigenous communities and organizations to address legal issues related to land claims, self-governance, and treaty rights.  Many of these areas of law require lawyers who are employed by the Government, big business, Indigenous bands or insurance companies.

However, when it comes time for the average person to enforce their legal rights in the Yukon there is a shortage of lawyers who are not already beholden to big business, in one form or another, leaving your average person with few options when it comes to representation.

When it comes to claims involving employment matters, personal injury, family law, insurance denial claims, criminal defence, and other legal matters that don’t involve “big business”, often citizens of the Yukon have to look for lawyers who reside outside of the territory for help.

The lawyers at Taylor & Blair LLP provide services in the Yukon, including personal injury claims relating to the following:

• Animal Attacks
• ATV Accidents
• Boating Accidents
• Occupiers Liability
• Outdoor Sports & Recreation Accidents
• Slip and Fall Accidents
• Snowmobile Accidents
• Auto Accidents
• Motorcycle
• Hit and Runs
• Pedestrian
• Bus or Taxi
• Bicycle
• Brain Injuries
• Concussions/Head Injuries
• Depression & Anxiety
• Fractures
• Orthopaedic Injuries
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Whiplash and Other Soft Tissue Injuries

The lawyers at Taylor & Blair LLP also assist citizens of the Yukon with denied insurance claims, with specialization in denied long-term disability claims, denied life insurance claims and denied critical illness claims.

If you have a legal claim in the Yukon make sure you find an experienced lawyer without conflicts relating to connections to “big business” to ensure you get the proper representation you need.