Archive: Refugee law services reform consultation (between Nov.5 and Dec.10, 2012) closed

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.

This review is an important component of LAO’s ongoing modernization strategy, to help ensure quality services for clients, value for taxpayers and streamlined administration.

This initiative is essential to help LAO address current challenges in the delivery of legal aid services for refugees:

• New federal refugee legislation is expected to come into force later this year, creating significant reforms to the refugee determination system in Canada.
• LAO must continue to address rising costs, reduced funding, and the ongoing need to provide value to taxpayers.

LAO, compelled to reassess some of the basic assumptions about how refugee legal aid services are provided in Ontario, has drafted a detailed consultation paper, Meeting the challenges of delivering refugee legal aid services, as a basis for discussion with stakeholders.

This paper, proposes ideas for a new model to provide refugee legal aid services in today’s environment. It discusses alternative service options such as greater use of duty counsel, clinics, paralegals, self-help materials, unbundling, and telephone advice.

Participate live, in person or by video conference

LAO is holding live in-person and video conference consultation sessions on this initiative.
If you wish to join a live consultation, please review the paper in English or in French, then register online to participate either in person or via video conference.

Provide your views online

If you prefer, you can view the refugee law services reform video presentation and provide your feedback electronically.

Questions and answers

For answers to common questions about LAO’s review of how it is delivering refugee law services, visit the Q&A section.

If you don’t see an answer you’re seeking, please submit your question electronically. We will add to this section as the consultations proceed.