Article content Before I became a criminal defence lawyer, I would have struggled to make a connection between a Bell pay phone and the term “access to justice.” COVID-19 has made that connection for me. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser. Community editorial board: The humble pay phone is a critical piece of access to justice Back to video We all know the Bell pay phone – black, clunky, in phone booths or on the wall in public places. When I was growing up in the 1980s and 90s phone calls were a quarter. We would buy calling cards at the convenience store to make long-distance calls.