Self-Represented Litigants Fail at the Supreme Court in Overwhelming Numbers

Interviewed by The Globe and Mail, Paul-Erik Veel provided empirical insights into the trends and issues faced by self-represented individuals in legal matters at the Supreme Court of Canada. Data compiled as part of our Data-Driven Decisions program further revealed that approximately one in four applicants seeking leave to appeal in the past six years were self-represented. 

“There’s only a certain type of case where it’s worth seeking leave to appeal, and I think most self-represented litigants don’t understand that distinction.”