THE AJC JOINS THE FIGHT TO STOP CUTS TO LEGAL AID ONTARIO

The Government of Ontario announced in its April 2019 budget that Legal Aid Ontario would see a 30% cut in funding retroactive to April 1, 2019. This amounts to $133 million in the coming year and $164 million by 2021 and will hurt some of Ontario´s most vulnerable people while adding new costs and delays onto an already overburdened court system.

The AJC is lending its support to the Society of United Professionals in demanding that the Ford government reverse its cuts to Legal Aid Ontario (LAO). These cuts are an assault on the poorest and most vulnerable people in Ontario. This decision by the province will have devastating impacts on the entire Justice system and further erode access to justice for all Canadians.

Access to justice is not simply a buzzword; it is a fundamental tenet of democracy. By forcing the end of services that help marginalized people defend their rights, access to justice is being denied to those who need it the most in Ontario.

The AJC calls on the government of Ontario to reverse the cuts to legal aid.  The AJC and its members are committed to seeking and promoting justice for all Canadians. Our brethren at the Society of United Professionals have launched a campaign to stop the Ontario government's cuts to Legal Aid Ontario, where the Society represents 375 members.  The AJC encourages all our members and Canadians at large, to help support the campaign, visit http://www.stoplegalaidcuts.ca, sign the petition and email Premier Ford to help STOP Legal Aid Cuts.