What's New
2021 AGM
2021 Community Champion Award
Omar Khan is the recipient of the 2021 Community Champion award, nominated for the award by Don Valley Community Legal Services.
The Community Champion Award is a way of recognizing those who advocate and fight on behalf of our clients, often in the trenches with clinics
What's New
Proposed Rules Under the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020: Impact on Community Legal Clinics
In July 2020, Ontario passed new legislation governing the provision of legal aid services. The Legal Aid board has proposed rules to govern this under the new legislation. Patricia Hughs comments on the new rules and their relationship to the 2020 Act as they apply to community legal clinics.
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Legal Aid Ontario facing up to $70 million funding drop amid COVID-19 ‘perfect storm
From the Toronto Star (July 13, 2020): https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/07/13/legal-aid-ontario-facing-up-to-70-million-funding-drop-amid-covid-19-perfect-storm.html As demand for legal aid services rises from Ontarians facing evictions, job loss, domestic violence and other issues, Legal Aid Ontario is staring down […]
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What's New
The Work of Legal Clinics in Trying Times
I have been reflecting on what our work means to our client communities in the context of the current pandemic. Three key aspects come to mind as critically needed at this time: recognizing our place; diversity in our work; and vulnerability of our client communities.
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The Smarter and stronger Justice Act bill
The provincial government introduced for first reading, an omnibus justice bill (The Smarter and Stronger Justice Act bill) containing provisions that will amend the current Legal Aid Services Act, 1998.
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“No Advocate” Video Project
“NO ADVOCATE” was made in an effort to shine light on the great work done by Toronto-based legal clinics and the trickle down impact these cuts will have on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Peoples of Colour) communities.
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Access to Justice Week
The ACLCO recognized Access to Justice week 2019 by launching a video series speaking with influential people in the justice sector about what access to justice means and the role […]
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Hoping Ontario’s new Attorney General does the right thing
“Today we are in the midst of writing a new chapter in the history of legal aid in Ontario — a system that has served as a much-emulated model of the world, with the legal clinics having played a central role of its success. A system that is now under attack, with deliberate misinformation about its lack of efficiency as the justification for its obliteration.”
Read the full article here: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2019/07/02/hoping-the-new-attorney-general-does-the-right-thing.html
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The Star Editorial Board calls on the Ontario’s new Attorney General to reverse the cuts to legal aid.
“Ontario has a new attorney general, Doug Downey, who is no doubt facing a massive to-do list. But before he starts on any new projects, Downey should revisit a decision made in April by his predecessor, Caroline Mulroney, to slash the province’s legal aid budget by 30 per cent. At the time, Mulroney claimed the move would ensure “lower-income Ontarians continue to have access to the justice that they need.”
That didn’t make sense then, and it doesn’t make sense now.”
Read the full article here: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2019/06/23/ontarios-new-attorney-general-should-reverse-cuts-to-legal-aid.html
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Community Legal Clinics worried about their future after provincial cuts to the budgets of the local clinic and clinics province-wide
“The Northwest Community Legal Clinic’s executive director is worried about its future after provincial cuts to the budgets of the local clinic and clinics province-wide have affected its ability to provide legal services. Community legal clinics provide civil law services for low-income Ontarians, funded mostly by Legal Aid Ontario, which saw $133 million slashed from its budget earlier this year.
The funding cuts will affect the clinic’s ability to serve clients.”
Read the full article here: https://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/news/local-news/local-legal-clinics-worry-for-future-after-funding-cuts
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