Could equal access to justice soon become a pipe dream in Ontario?

Due to 2019 cuts, Kwan and Mississauga Legal Services were unable to bring on an additional lawyer, someone who could assist nearly 20 people a day with housing, WSIB claims, and other issues faced by the region’s most vulnerable. On top of that, because of the uncertainty around the level of funding for Legal Aid Ontario in the upcoming provincial budget, Kwan says they are unable to offer any permanent contracts, making it very hard to attract fresh minds who are coming out of law school. Already, the legal aid sector doesn’t pay nearly as much as gigs on Bay Street. 

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Dating back to Doug Ford’s disastrous first budget as premier of Ontario, Mississauga Legal Services and legal clinics like it across the province have been fighting cuts made in that document, compromising the crucial work these services provide. 

Now they have a new problem, as Conservative legislation threatens to shake the foundation of everything legal aid stands for.

Published on February 24, 2020 in The Pointer Brampton and The Pointer Mississauga