In May 2026, the SOAR Board of Directors sponsored two meals for Lawyers Feed the Hungry. SOAR volunteers and our Executive Director joined the Board at the cafeteria in Osgoode Hall in serving hot meals to those in need.

Lawyers Feed the Hungry is a nonprofit organization run by The Law Foundation of Ontario. In Toronto, it serves two dinners and two brunches weekly.

Game On: Advancing Administrative Justice will take place in person at the Chelsea Hotel in Toronto on November 12, 2026. Registration fee is $525.00 and will open at the end of August.

Don't miss SOAR's 38th Annual Conference which is shaping up to be the event of the year!

Learn more here

Humber Polytechnic and ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC) are proud to launch A Deeper Examination of the ADR Landscape in Canada, funded by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). This novel survey of ADR practitioners across Canada represents an important moment for the field of ADR, offering an opportunity to capture a comprehensive picture of the profession.   

ANNOUNCING SOAR/RON ELLIS SCHOLARSHIP 2026

The Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators is pleased to award an annual academic scholarship in administrative law, the SOAR/RON ELLIS SCHOLARSHIP in honour of our late founder and mentor.

SOAR is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan association of Chairs, members, management and staff of the province’s administrative boards, agencies, regulators and tribunals.  SOAR’s mission is to advance administrative justice through education, advocacy and innovation.

To promote interest in and recognize dedication to the principles of administrative

The SOAR's Public Interest and Innovation Committee is pleased to present a self assessment tool that was designed to assist tribunals to evaluate the delivery of services to self represented parties with a view to showcasing these services to users.

The Access to Justice (A2J) Index for Tribunals in Ontario was developed by a subcommittee that reviewed a variety of resources.  They researched and solicited input from different tribunals within Ontario who shared varying approaches and experiences. A draft document was circulated to experts in the areas of self represented parties and tribunals

SOAR invites its current members (eligible as at October 21, 2025) who are Chairs, Full-time adjudicators, Part-time adjudicators and Staff of Ontario adjudicative agencies, boards and commissions to consider serving on SOAR’s Board of Directors. This notice of election is being distributed to all SOAR Members pursuant to SOAR’s bylaw.

As a Director, you will govern and support SOAR and its activities through committee work, education and training initiatives, overseeing financial operations and implementation of the strategic plan. The time commitment includes attendance at Board meetings

Don't forget to Save the Date for SOAR's 37th Annual Conference- Food for Thought: Administrative Justice on the Menu, Chelsea Hotel Toronto, November 13, 2025.

We will have concurrent workshops, plenaries, nutritious food and a lot of networking as we always do!

Check the SOAR website for updates, registration date and speaker information.

Applications for the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators/Ron Ellis annual academic scholarship are now open.

To promote interest in and recognize dedication to the principles of administrative law, SOAR will award $5,000 in scholarship money to one (in exceptional circumstances, two)  upper level (L2 or L3) student(s) who demonstrates a commitment to the administrative justice system.  Students must show, in a written essay, how their studies have led them (or will lead them) to embrace the practice of administrative law. 

In its deliberations, SOAR will consider the principles of