On April 11, with the release of the Budget, the Government of Ontario made a significant cut of approximately one third of all Legal aid funding. These cuts will jeopardize the rights of those who need legal representation the most.
URGENT! Sign your name now to the petition – let the Government of Ontario know that you care about funding to legal aid and are concerned about how it will impact the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in our society, including refugees and immigrants in Ontario.
REVIEW AND SIGN: HERE
Many refugee claimants arrive in Canada with almost nothing. Many are dealing with the aftermath of extreme personal trauma and struggle with PTSD, depression or other mental health issues as a result of the events that caused them to leave their homes and countries of origin. Often with little to no English, and even less legal knowledge, they are required to file legal forms, collect evidence, and appear in a hearing to test their claim. They are not equipped to represent themselves in Canada’s refugee determination system, a highly specialized legal field. This is why Legal Aid funding is so essential to protect the rights of such a vulnerable population and to ensure that their full story is heard by a refugee decision-maker through providing access to legal representation.
Access to Legal Aid is also essential to low-income Ontarians who are facing legal proceedings, such as in criminal, family, mental health, poverty law and child protection cases. These Ontarians will also struggle to navigate these legally complex, high stakes proceedings alone without legal assistance or resources.
The impact of these cuts is huge. Vulnerable populations like refugees are left to represent themselves in a complex and already overburdened legal system, where a negative decision leads to deportation to countries where lives may be at risk. The cuts will lead to backlogs and delays throughout the justice system, causing chaos in the courts and costing taxpayers more, not less.
Contact your MPP and MP now:
- Provincial member of Parliament (MPP): https://voterinformationservice.elections.on.ca/en/election/search?mode=postalCode
- Federal Member of Parliament (MP): http://www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/constituencies/FindMP