For Immediate Release MCLS Thanks Province for its Commitment to Access to Justice Mississauga, Ontario Today, the Attorney General announced that Legal Aid Ontario will receive $95.7 million over the next three years so that more low income Ontarians can access legal aid services. The investment follows through with the commitment that was announced in this year’s provincial Budget. “This new money will allow the financial eligibility rules for Legal Aid to be updated for inflation for the first time in more than a decade,” says Terrence Edgar, Executive Director of Mississauga Community Legal Services (MCLS). “Many clients unable to afford a lawyer on their own will now for the first time be able to access free legal aid services. As well, we anticipate that some of this additional money will be used to provide more staff to community legal clinics in under resourced areas like Mississauga where the population has more than doubled in the last twenty-five years.” Quick Facts: • MCLS is funded by Legal Aid Ontario to provide poverty law services in social assistance, landlord and tenant, disability appeals, employment insurance, worker’s compensation, immigration and consumer protection matters. MCLS also conducts public legal education seminars throughout the community and participates in law reform work. • 10 staff positions serve160,500 people who are living with poverty in Mississauga. • MCLS through the services of Legal Aid Ontario has a family law advice lawyer provide free family law advice every Friday at our office. • MCLS also offers free criminal law advice every Thursday evening at our office. • MCLS holds satellite clinics at MaltonNeighbourhood Services every Thursday, Eden Food Bank in West Mississauga on the first Monday and Tuesday of every month, and at Seva Food Bank for the first Thursday of each month. • In 2013, MCLS served almost 4,000 residents and spoke to hundreds more through our public legal education seminars. Media Contact: Douglas Kwan T: 905 896-2052, ext. 35 E: [email protected]
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 20:16:54 +0000
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