In brief: News for lawyers

The annual self-report for panel lawyers is now available in the Personal Info section of Legal Aid Online. Complete yours by March 31, 2021 to renew your legal aid panel membership, confirm ongoing compliance with panel standards, and to update your panel standing. In recognition of COVID‑19’s impact, we have made important changes to our…

Refugee claimants who work as frontline healthcare workers may now be able to get help from Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) to apply for permanent residence. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) started a new program called “Healthcare Workers Permanent Residence Pathway” in December 2020 to offer permanent residence to refugee claimants who have worked in…

Further to our August 13, 2020 announcement, effective immediately, LAO counsel will assist accused persons with matters in the Superior Court of Justice’s 361 University Avenue practice court in Toronto on Mondays only. The service will no longer be available on Fridays. The court continues to operate virtually due to the COVID‑19 pandemic. LAO counsel will…

To better serve clients who don’t speak English or French, effective December 3, 2020, per diem lawyers may directly access Multilingual Community Interpreter Services (MCIS) when advising LAO clients during scheduled duty counsel shifts. The service is unavailable for certificate-related work. Questions? Please contact your local supervisor or manager of duty counsel services.

Legal Aid Ontario wants to hear from you on new ways to pay lawyers and making Legal Aid Online easier to use. Register now for one of the virtual meetings below to give your input on: cost-neutral updates to the tariff and block fees and where future increases might be applied, if and when possible…

The following is temporary during COVID‑19 disruptions and will be applied to existing and new applications effective Dec. 7, 2020. As part of Legal Aid Ontario’s (LAO) continuing response to COVID‑19, we will now accept verbal consent and declaration (C&D) confirmation for in‑custody applications (big case management cases are excluded). Counsel must still advise LAO of…

Legal Aid Ontario is pleased to announce improvements to our services to persons in immigration detention, including the launch of the Immigration Detention Representation Program (IDRP) on a one‑year pilot basis. LAO encourages panel lawyers to apply to the IDRP to develop expertise in detention representation and increase access to justice for immigration detainees. These…

Lawyers may now apply for legal aid criminal defence certificates on behalf of out-of-custody applicants. Legal Aid Ontario is doing this to help reduce court delays and to better respond to the needs of applicants, particularly those who do not speak or read English or French, have low literacy skills, live in communities or institutions…

Legal Aid Ontario wants to hear from you on new ways to pay lawyers and making Legal Aid Online easier to use. Starting in December 2020, we will be seeking panel lawyers’ input on: cost-neutral updates to the tariff and block fees making Legal Aid Online more modern and easier to use enabling easier online…

If you have already filed your 2019 Legal Aid Ontario lawyer self-report, you may disregard this message. December 12, 2020 is the last day to file a 2019 LAO lawyer self-report for the 2019 calendar year. This follows an extension of the original deadline because of COVID‑19. We are aware of difficulties you may have…