In brief: News for lawyers

As part of LAO’s continuing response to COVID‑19, LAO is providing a three‑hour authorization to respond to June 2020 RAD requests for specific or updated submissions. These requests were an extraordinary measure to deal with a backlog caused by the COVID pandemic. The new authorization is available on RAD certificates where full coverage has already…

This email was sent to members of the private bar on June 24, 2020. Dear members of the private bar, Legal Aid Ontario as an organization recognizes that though we want things to be different, not everyone is treated equally under the law. Anti-Black racism and police violence is not just an American problem. Unfortunately, it…

Effective immediately, Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) will be making changes to its certificate coverage for Consent and Capacity Board (CCB) appeals. LAO will be offering an additional ten (10) hours to the current 25 hours allocated on the CCB appeal tariff (excluding hearing time). This increases the total coverage on the certificate to 35 hours. Any existing CCB…

Thank you once again to criminal bar lawyers who provided emergency in-court legal aid services to unrepresented clients between March 16 and 20, 2020. We remain grateful for your contribution to LAO’s response to the COVID‑19 pandemic. Please be advised that June 30, 2020 is the deadline for submitting accounts for work completed during this period. Submit…

Legal Aid Online will be unavailable from 6 AM ET June 27 while we archive and remove completed certificates. This is routine maintenance called a purchase order close, and applies to concluded appeals and all cancelled, final billed or terminated certificates completed prior to June 1, 2014. Certificates that will not be closed include: BCU cases PCU cases…

We’re pleased to announce that this year’s RLO annual continuing professional development conference will be online, and in two parts:

LAO will soon provide an additional two hours of legal aid coverage for mandatory JPTs in both the Ontario Superior Court and the Court of Justice.

While we encourage you to file your self-report as soon as you are able, we recognize that you may still be having difficulty getting the information you need to complete it due to COVID‑19. As a result, we’ve again extended the filing deadline to a yet to be determined date subject to a return to…

As part of LAO’s continuing response to COVID-19, LAO will provide live duty counsel legal advice for in-custody clients with upcoming court appearances and without legal representation for criminal matters, starting April 14, 2020.

As part of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, LAO is making temporary changes to our billing policies together with other business supports and information for service providers.