The new funding was set aside as part of the province’s recent budget and includes a $7.47-million increase to Legal Aid B.C.’s budget and $730,000 for the Society for Children and Youth to fund the expansion of a legal clinic.
Legal Aid B.C. chief executive officer Michael Bryant said the new, ongoing funding “means less people going without urgent legal representation, and more people getting help when they need it most.” The Ministry of Attorney General, the Association of Legal Aid Lawyers and Legal Aid B.C. have been working since December 2019 to identify gaps in legal aid service delivery and various options for addressing them.
Legal Aid B.C. chief executive officer Michael Bryant
The new funding includes $4.65 million for Legal Aid B.C. to support and expand the delivery of legal aid services by lawyers in the province, as well as $3.55 million to allow for expanded and enhanced service delivery, including assigning one additional junior counsel in all murder and manslaughter cases; preauthorizing a certain number of hours for expert witnesses in criminal cases; providing ongoing funding for the family limited representation contract and expanding the financial eligibility for this service to help families navigate the court system; and enhancing the criminal early resolution contract to provide legal representation to provide legal representation to more clients whose matter was not able to be resolved out of court.
See here for more information about Legal Aid B.C.
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