Consultations

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is consulting on a three-year increase to its financial eligibility thresholds so more low-income Ontarians may receive legal aid services. LAO is proposing to raise its current income thresholds for all duty counsel and criminal certificate services to $45,440 for families of up to four individuals. LAO is also proposing to…

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is consulting about the proposed minimum experience standards that prospective roster (formerly panel) members must meet to join our roster and be eligible to provide legal aid certificate services and duty counsel services in specific areas of law.

This consultation has closed. For the results of this consultation, visit: Outcome of consultation: LASA 2020 rules OVERVIEW Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is consulting on proposed amendments to the fees roster lawyers are paid for doing legal aid work. LAO is proposing to: increase the hourly rates for roster lawyers and the amount paid for…

Overview Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is proposing amendments to the minimum experience requirements in Schedule 3 of the Legal Aid Services Rules. LAO is proposing to: introduce minimum experience requirements for the Ontario Review Board roster remove unimplemented minimum experience requirements for youth criminal and criminal mental health matters Consultation materials We encourage you to…

LASA 2020 consultation: Minimum experience requirements for criminal youth and criminal mental health – implementation date change. Overview In August 2022, LAO introduced minimum experience requirements (MER) that roster lawyers must meet to deliver legal aid services in specific areas of law, replacing its prior panel standards. LAO also created minimum requirements for youth criminal…

With the passing of the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020, LAO must implement a clear framework for the delivery of legal aid services by community legal clinics serving communities throughout Ontario.

LASA, 2020 consultation: Proposed Policy or Rule Overview Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is consulting about the proposed minimum experience standards that prospective roster (formerly panel) members must meet to join our roster and be eligible to provide legal aid certificate services and duty counsel services in specific areas of law. Consultation materials We encourage you to review the consultation materials prior to attending a…

Legal Aid Ontario is consulting about the proposed policy: Risk Level Determination and Risk Management for Community Legal Clinics and Student Legal Services Organizations.

LAO has committed to developing a multi-year, multi-faceted, province-wide domestic violence strategy that will build upon the services and supports that LAO already has in place.

This consultation explored ways the legal aid system can become more client-focused and efficient. Through this process, and building on LAO’s strategic plan, we, together with service providers, aim to make the legal aid system more innovative, accessible and cost-effective.

The purpose of this consultation is to initiate discussions with clinics on how to improve the effectiveness and accountability of interpretation and translation services.

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) plans to reach out to Ontario’s criminal and family lawyers for feedback on two proposed initiatives:

In July 2016, Legal Aid Ontario updated the clinic performance measures examples and charts document to provide more definitions and descriptions for the performance measures.

The paper, Clinic Law Services Strategic Direction, outlines the key objectives and principles that will underpin how the future of clinic law will be further developed to ensure the best possible client service in the most cost-effective ways.

Discretion is a compensation tool that allows Legal Aid Ontario to approve, in exceptional circumstances, lawyers’ written requests for additional compensation above the hourly tariff rate.

Individuals in the mental health system are a particularly vulnerable group. As part of Legal Aid Ontario’s Mental Health Strategy, a program will be introduced to expand the availability of certificates and hours for appeals from decisions of the Consent and Capacity Board and the Ontario Review Board.

Since 2016, Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) has been meeting with legal aid applicants and clients, lawyers, community legal clinics and other community agencies to talk about issues faced by racialized communities when trying to get the legal services they need.

Between May 23 and June 16, 2017, Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) held a series of in-person and online consultations sessions to address the possible need to temporarily suspend some refugee services.

LAO’s board has approved new general and appellate standards.

Between Feb. 21 and Mar. 11, 2013, LAO is asking the refugee bar and stakeholders for their feedback on its proposed new refugee law services delivery model.

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) plans to reach out to a broad range of organizations, stakeholders and individuals across Ontario for feedback on delivery of refugee law services.

A discussion paper “Open Government at Legal Aid Ontario: Promoting transparency and accountability in Ontario’s justice system” was released publicly by LAO in April 2016.

As a requirement under the Broader Public Sector Executive Compensation Act, 2014 (BPSEC), Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is developing an Executive Compensation Framework.