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Legal Aid Eligibility and Coverage in Canada

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Legal Aid Eligibility and Coverage in Canada SERVING CANADIANS LEGAL AID RESEARCH SERIES LEGAL AID ELIGIBILITY AND COVERAGE IN CANADA Legal Aid Eligibility and Coverage in Canada rr03lars-5e October 2002 Spyridoula Tsoukalas Paul Roberts Canadian Council on Social Development Ottawa Programs Branch Research and Statistics Division The views expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of justice Canada. Table of Content Acknowledgements........................................................................................................................iii Executive Summary........................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 3 Methodology................................................................................................................................... 5 Inventory of Legal Aid Plans in Canada......................................................................................... 7 British Columbia.................................................................................................................... 8 Alberta ................................................................................................................................. 12 Saskatchewan....................................................................................................................... 15 Manitoba .............................................................................................................................. 18 Ontario ................................................................................................................................. 22 Quebec ................................................................................................................................. 26 New Brunswick.................................................................................................................... 32 Nova Scotia.......................................................................................................................... 34 Prince Edward Island........................................................................................................... 37 Newfoundland and Labrador ............................................................................................... 39 Coverage Restrictions ................................................................................................................... 45 Financial Eligibility Criteria Across the Jurisdictions.................................................................. 51 Data Analyses ............................................................................................................................... 57 British Columbia.................................................................................................................. 60 Alberta ................................................................................................................................. 61 Saskatchewan....................................................................................................................... 63 Manitoba .............................................................................................................................. 64 Ontario ................................................................................................................................. 65 Quebec ................................................................................................................................. 67 Nova Scotia.......................................................................................................................... 68 Prince Edward Island........................................................................................................... 69 Newfoundland and Labrador ............................................................................................... 70 A Look at Young Adults, Aged 18 to 35 Years............................................................................ 71 British Columbia.................................................................................................................. 71 Alberta ................................................................................................................................. 72 Saskatchewan....................................................................................................................... 72 Manitoba .............................................................................................................................. 72 Ontario ................................................................................................................................. 73 Quebec ................................................................................................................................. 73 Nova Scotia.......................................................................................................................... 74 Prince Edward Island........................................................................................................... 74 Newfoundland and Labrador ............................................................................................... 74 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 79 Tables.............................................................................................................................................81 Legal Aid Research Series / Research and Statistics Division | i Acknowledgements he authors wish to thank the Department of Justice Canada, with special thanks to Jeff T Latimer, Senior Research Officer, Research and Statistics Division, for his support with this project. Very special thanks to members of the provincial legal aid plans for their support throughout this project. Legal Aid Research Series / Research and Statistics Division | iii Executive Summary he financial eligibility guidelines in use in all legal aid plans fall below low income levels as T measured by the Statistics Canada Low Income Cut-Off (LICO). The extent to which the financial eligibility guidelines fall below low income levels varies considerably from one jurisdiction to the next. Depending on the jurisdiction, the percentage of poor adults aged 18 to 35 who would qualify for legal aid varies between 21% and 88%. Financial eligibility guidelines are income by family size grids, and these percentages would vary slightly from one family size category to the next. It is recognized that the definition of poverty and the mediating effects of provincial social safety nets differ from one jurisdiction to the next. However, it seems clear that there is unequal access to legal aid across the country based on income level. The figures above refer to free or non-contributory legal aid. Most legal aid plans have client contribution programs that provide legal aid on a contributory basis to the working poor. These additional income bands above the normal financial eligibility guidelines provide legal aid on a partial or full repayment basis to some people among the working poor. Legal aid financial eligibility guidelines are updated periodically. However, they are typically not updated on a regular basis to keep pace with changes in economic indicators. The two main conclusions drawn from this report are that legal aid eligibility guidelines are consistently below low income levels and that applicants for legal aid do not appear to have the same access to legal aid based on their income level. Legal Aid Research Series / Research and Statistics Division | 1 Introduction egal aid is a vital part of the Canadian justice system. Legal aid plans pre-date the Canadian L Charter of Rights and Freedoms, with the earliest plan being set up in Ontario in 1967 with the enactment of the first legal aid act. The remaining provinces later followed suit with both federal and provincial funding. Prior to this, legal aid was conducted as a charity administered on an informal basis by lawyers volunteering their time and services. The underlying philosophy was that this was a social responsibility of the legal profession. While pro bono work is still done, it does not have the same impact on the overall system. The legal aid plans are somewhat distinct from each other, with different delivery mechanisms, varying levels of financial eligibility and coverage provisions. The common goal they share is to ensure that those ‘in need’ are able to receive legal assistance when they cannot afford to hire a lawyer. While the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides all Canadians with the “right to counsel without delay” for criminal cases,1 this does not include state funded counsel. The importance of legal aid is based on the adversarial nature of the justice system, whereby the system cannot function fairly and effectively if only the Crown has knowledge, skill and expertise. The Ontario Judges’ Association, in their brief to the Attorney General of Ontario Legal Aid Review, noted that: In the criminal justice system, there is an inevitable imbalance between the power and resources of the Crown and the power and resources of an individual accused. Legal aid is intended to bring some balance to the field.2 The
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