Request your mandatory judicial pretrial coverage online
Plus: updated process for Myers review authorizations
Published: July 27, 2020
Further to our June 1, 2020 announcement, LAO is now providing an additional two hours of COVID‑19 legal aid coverage for mandatory judicial pretrials (JPT) in both the Ontario Superior Court and Court of Justice. Courts may now require lawyers to attend an additional JPT to address cases that have been delayed due to the pandemic.
Log in to Legal Aid Online to make your request. This new coverage is another support LAO is providing to clients, lawyers, and the justice system, as part of our response to COVID‑19.
Eligibility
Matters must be set down for either a preliminary inquiry or trial, and the JPT must have occurred between March 16 and October 31, 2020.
Myers (s.525) reviews
As announced previously, we are also temporarily covering Myers detention reviews as part of our COVID‑19 response, which is the same as for bail reviews. Follow the updated process below to apply.
How to request JPT and Myers coverage
- On Legal Aid Online, click on the “Certificate” tab at the top of the homepage.
- Follow the “Submit certificate coverage materials” link.
- Click the “COVID JPT” or “Myers Review” button.
- You’ll be directed to a short online form to complete and submit.
If eligible, coverage will be automatically added to your certificate within 24 hours of your request. Bill for it when you submit your next account.
Coverage is limited to one special COVID JPT per proceeding, however, you may still request second JPT coverage for matters set down for a preliminary inquiry or trial in the Ontario Court of Justice. This is in addition to JPT and Superior Court of Justice pre‑trial coverage available on all criminal certificates.
For certificates that permit billing of charges heard separately—youth matters and serious offences excluded from block fees, for example—subsequent coverage requests will be processed manually.