The news sounded absolutely cruel when it first broke, Legal Aid Ontario, as part of cost savings measures, would no longer pay an accused’s lawyer to show up in court for a bail hearing.
It made it sound like the government was forcing people at the bottom of the economic ladder to fend for themselves if they ran afoul of the law.
Not quite, while Legal Aid won’t pay for the lawyer of your choice to show up, duty counsel will still be on site for bail hearings and anyone having to go to court in need of legal aid will need to use those lawyers for bail hearings.
“Legal Aid is no longer going to pay another criminal lawyer to show up to for two hours to bump aside the already available lawyer. This is bad news for lawyers who bill by the hour, but good news for taxpayers,” said Jesse Robichaud, a spokesman for Attorney General Caroline Mulroney.
Ok, so this will save taxpayers money? How much?
That’s a question Robichaud couldn’t answer. In fact, despite knowing this announcement was coming, he couldn’t offer much detail. The government wants you to know they are saving you money, just don’t ask them how or how much.
Call Legal Aid I was told.
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