Includes Stable Funding To Help One Of Toronto's Fastest Growing
Communities
TORONTO, July 19 /CNW/ - The South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario will be
receiving stable funding through Legal Aid Ontario, part of $51 million in new
government funding, Attorney General Michael Bryant announced today.
"We are making sure that more people who need legal aid services receive
them, increasing access to justice for low-income Ontarians," said Bryant. "We
are proud of the close working relationship we have developed with Legal Aid
Ontario. Through this funding, the McGuinty government is helping to ensure
the agency is in sound financial shape this year and into the future."
As part of the increase, Legal Aid Ontario will provide stable funding
for services that help one of the greater Toronto area's fastest growing
communities. The South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario responds to the legal
needs of thousands of low-income Ontarians in their clients' first language by
providing culturally sensitive services. While the clinic has received
individual project grants from the Law Foundation of Ontario and Legal Aid
Ontario for several years, this new stable funding will secure the future of
this valuable service.
"South Asians represent the largest and fastest growing minority group in
Toronto," said Prakash David, President of the South Asian Legal Clinic of
Ontario. "We are thankful for this stable funding, which will allow us to
focus on long-term planning to better meet the needs of Toronto's South Asian
community."
The $51 million will also provide legal assistance to hundreds more
vulnerable women and children who are involved in complex and serious family
law cases and who might not otherwise have legal representation in court. The
government's funding will increase support for poverty and clinic law
services. It will also help to make legal aid accessible to more families by
making changes to the financial eligibility test. As well, the funding will
enable Legal Aid Ontario to assist in large and costly cases, including those
related to guns and gangs.
Legal Aid Ontario will also be able to offer improved French language
services in legal aid clinics. This funding will allow clinics to add
bilingual staff in areas where they are needed, increase the amount and
availability of French language public legal information and bolster existing
French language service capabilities for clinics.
"Our government values the work of agencies like the South Asian Legal
Clinic of Ontario in providing high-quality legal services to low-income
Ontarians," said Bryant. "We are pleased that our legal aid funding increase
will result in core funding to such a worthy organization."This funding is just one more example of how, working together, Ontarians
have achieved results in increasing access to justice. Other initiatives
include:
- Investing an additional $8 million over three years in Ontario's
human rights system
- Appointing 112 justices of the peace since the McGuinty government
was sworn in on October 23, 2003 to ensure that Ontario courts have
adequate resources and improve access to justice
- Regulating paralegals as part of the Access to Justice Act to ensure
more choice and better protection for consumers.
Disponible en français
www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca
For further information: Greg Crone, Ministry of the Attorney General,
Minister's Office, (416) 326-1785; Brendan Crawley, Ministry of the Attorney
General, Communications Branch, (416) 326-2210
