Legal Aid Cuts Hurt Poor

Legal Aid facing changes
REDUCTIONS: Local lawyers say cuts will result in further delays
Posted By KEVIN LAJOIE KLAJOIE@STANDARD-FREEHOLDER.COM

A plan to streamline services at the local Legal Aid office will lead to longer courtroom delays and cause problems for those looking to access the service, some local lawyers believe.

Legal Aid Ontario recently announced a series of changes aimed at making their services more accessible to low-income residents in Cornwall and S, D and G, however a number of lawyers feel the measures will do just the opposite.

“I think it’s going to crush a lot of people that are already being marginalized,” said defence lawyer Bill Wade, who estimates that roughly 95 per cent of his practice involves Legal Aid cases.

Under the plan, the existing Legal Aid office on Pitt Street will close, and the existing staff of four will be reduced to one. That person will work out of the Cornwall courthouse to assist residents with their Legal Aid matters and applications, five days a week. A Legal Aid official from the Ottawa district office wouldn’t get into specifics about the pending office closure or staff reduction, however she acknowledged that some positions will no longer be required as the transformation moves ahead.

Wade suggested the reduction in front-line staff could lead to lineups around the block.

“The ironic thing is we keep (the) four girls (in the existing office) busy now,” he added.

The way Wade sees it, a slowdown in the Legal Aid application process could lead to cases dragging on even longer in the courts, and it could also result in more people opting to represent themselves. That will only cost more time and money in the long run because the judge will have to explain all of the ins and outs to the individual along the way, he explained.

As part of the change, Legal Aid has set up a toll-free number (1-800-668-8258) where residents will be apply to apply for financial support in the language of their choice. The number can be contacted for free through payphones, and it will provide convenient access for people who face transportation challenges, officials said. Legal Aid’s website has also been updated to include additional information for both clients and lawyers.

However, critics note that some of the people who make use of Legal Aid don’t have access to a phone or computer. Also, they said people with literacy issues could have difficulty filling out the Legal Aid applications on their own.

As part of the change, S, D and G will now form part of the Ottawa district office, which will serve as the “hub” for Legal Aid services.

Ron McClelland, the past-president of the S, D and G Law Association, sees the changes as a case of jobs and services being moved out of the community.

“I see resources being taken away and shuffled out to Ottawa. What good is that going to do us?,” he asked.

McClelland, who practices civil and family law, said he hasn’t handled Legal Aid cases in about 15 years, but he’s concerned about the impacts of the changes.

The lawyer was also upset that they weren’t given more of a chance to offer input before the changes were announced. Legal Aid officials outlined the changes to a group of about 30 lawyers, judges and community agency officials at a meeting at the courthouse earlier this week, and according to several accounts, the news wasn’t warmly received.

The changes could also have an impact on the Legal Clinic, which is also part of the Legal Aid system. Coun. Bernadette Clement, a lawyer at the clinic, said their office will likely be involved in trying to explain the changes to residents. Clement said the city’s social services department also refers many people to Legal Aid, and she wondered aloud if those employees will now be expected to help people access Legal Aid.

Despite the concerns raised, Legal Aid’s Ottawa area director insists the changes are for the better.

Nathalie Champagne said people who need to meet with a Legal Aid representative in person will still be able to do so at the courthouse. Having someone directly in the courthouse could actually lead to efficiencies, she suggested.

“Experience shows that delays often occur when criminal defendants or family law litigants have to travel from court to a Legal Aid office and then back again. If the . . . office is just down the hall, they can leave and be back quickly,” she wrote in an email.

As for the concerns about the lack of input, Champagne said Legal Aid Ontario has been undergoing changes for more than three years now, and there has been extensive province-wide consultation along the way.

“While there may be changes in how we deliver services for clients, Legal Aid Ontario is committed to maintaining a permanent presence in Cornwall,” she stated.

Legal Aid’s duty counsel program — which offers immediate legal help to people who appear in court without a lawyer — won’t be affected by the changes.

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