Five County Connecting Regions
Project 2010:
Increasing Legal Literacy and Access to Justice
for Rural Residents and Linguistic Communities
Law Foundation of Ontario Report:
Connecting across language and
distance: Linguistic and Rural Access to
Legal Information and Services (2008)
Main recommendations relevant to our
Project
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Capacity Building project – increase capacity of non-legal
community organizations to provide legal information and
referrals to clients (CLEO is lead)
Regional planning initiative – enhance rural and linguistic
access to legal info and services by coordination (Five
County project is one of three funded for Phase I)
Legal interpretation issues – Deaf Community & Linguistic
groups (Request for projects coming soon)
Articling Fellowships (CALC was awarded one)
Rural challenges according to Report
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80 % of lawyers are small or solo practices
47 % of communities, mostly rural and remote do not
have broadband access
Distance, lack of transportation, literacy, health,
isolation, lack of social services, lack of education
Hidden nature of rural poverty
Seasonal employment
Housing disrepair
Stigma because of rural self-sufficiency ethos –
reluctant to seek help
Fear of legal system and “cultural” barriers
Linguistic challenges according to Report
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Legal interpretation / language challenges
Cultural and attitudinal barriers
Lack of literacy skills and knowledge of
the legal system
Poverty and social isolation
Report recommendations and overcoming
Rural and Linguistic challenges
Outreach via:
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Friendship Centres
Band offices
Mennonite Central Committee offices
Ethnic media
Places of worship
Health-related locations
Physicians
Public service announcements
LCBO
Grocery stores
Food banks
Libraries
Post-offices
ServiceOntario etc.
Report recommendations and overcoming
Rural and Linguistic challenges
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Use of technology (hotlines, videoconferencing,
internet)
“Trusted intermediaries” (Capacity building with
front-line staff)
ESL Classes
Workshops or Mini-legal Clinics
OMNI or Cable Television
Increase legal services in rural locations
Newspaper columns like the “Legalese” column
in Frontenac News
Report Conclusions
Priority areas of law are:
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Consumer
Criminal justice
Employment
Family and child protection
Health care and mental health
Housing
Human rights
Immigration and refugee status
Income support, and
Information about the legal system.
Report Conclusions
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Rural and linguistic access are fundamental A2J issues
Vulnerable people need legal service more than selfhelp
A system and not just an entity is needed (multiple
points of access in an integrated system)
Community agencies are essential parts of system
Commitment to collaboration is the foundation for
effective and sustainable results
LFO Report endorses Professor Trebilcock’s
recent Review of Legal Aid
“Better integration of legal services in
Ontario’s clinics, staff offices and duty
counsel offices, coupled with a referral
system based on strong partnerships with
the social service sector would be a
highly desirable goal.”
LFO Report suggests…
Effort is needed …. “to create a systemic
response to access to justice challenges
that builds from a shared vision, involves
all who need to be part of it, identifies the
highest priorities, and explores the
benefits of working together.” (p. 58)
LFO Report recommends vision:
“Legal and non-legal organizations will
work together as a coherent system to
improve access to legal information and
services for persons who do not speak
English or French or who live in rural or
remote areas of Ontario.” (p. 60)
Report excerpt
Report excerpt
Report excerpt
Report excerpt
Report recommends
Regional Planning Model
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Objective: increase rural and linguistic access
How: Local legal and non-legal organizations
and provincial bodies would develop a system
How: collaboration and collective learning,
partnerships and shared resources, shared
expertise, joint outreach, legal information
distribution, training, service coordination
Deliverable: model for a coherent system
Continuum of legal services
Connecting Region
A group of legal and non-legal
organizations working together to test
strategies to improve rural and linguistic
access to legal information and services
in a region of the province
Five County Connecting Region Project
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Phase I Funded for:
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Focus groups
Case studies
Literature review
Report in February 2010
Release event February 2010
Create Phase II Proposal (Local
“Consortium” to build future Network, and
Project Ideas)
Project Partners
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Community Advocacy & Legal Centre
Northumberland Community Legal Centre
Kingston Community Legal Clinic
Rural Legal Services
Queen’s Student Legal Aid Services Society
Legal Aid Ontario Durham-Frontenac District
Office
Legal Aid Ontario Supervisory Duty Counsel
Focus Groups
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1-3 Focus Groups in each of the five counties
Aboriginal Focus Groups
Specialty Legal Clinics with provincial
mandates:
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Community Legal Education Ontario
CLEONet
ARCH Disability Law Centre
Canadian Environmental Law Association
Advocacy Centre for the Elderly
Justice for Children and Youth
Community Access to Justice Tool Kit
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An interim resource to enhance referrals
to Legal Aid, local legal clinics, specialty
legal clinics, and other sources of legal
help
Your feedback is appreciated
Also available electronically at:
http://www.communitylegalcentre.ca/Conn
ectingRegions