Archives: Grants

The National Self-Represented Litigants Project is dedicated to better understanding the needs, motivations, and challenges of self-represented litigants (SRLs) in civil and family courts and administrative tribunals. It promotes new and more affordable models of legal service delivery that better support SRLs. It is committed to the development of practical resources geared specifically to SRLs' needs, especially in relation to cultural and procedural matters that can often confound them.

The 519’s Access to Justice and Direct Legal Services program responds to the legal needs of 2SLGBTQ+ communities in Toronto and Ontario. The 519 offers a general summary advice legal clinic, specialty legal clinics for criminal law, immigration and refugee law, housing law, and Trans ID matters, refugee mock hearings, a court support program, and public legal education workshops. This initiative will enhance access to legal resources that are tailored to the specific needs of 2SLGBTQ+ communities in the province.

Aboriginal Legal Services (ALS) supports Indigenous community members across Ontario who are experiencing legal issues. ALS offers legal services such as court workers, Gladue services, a post-charge diversion program, an alternative dispute resolution program for child welfare matters, and justice circles. This initiative will enhance Indigenous communities’ access to legal services that are culturally responsive.

L’Association des juristes d'expression française de l'Ontario (AJEFO) will offer services at its legal information centre in Ottawa and deliver workshops on a range of legal topics. Ontarians are also able to access legal information through AJEFO’s CliquezJustice.ca portal. This initiative will enhance Ontarians’ access to French language legal services.

The Criminalization of Women Pro-Bono Project at the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic will provide trauma-informed summary legal advice, brief services, and referrals to women and non-binary people who have experienced gender-based violence and have been charged with or convicted of a criminal offence. This initiative will connect women and non-binary people to responsive and trauma-informed legal support.

Canadian Civil Liberties Education Trust will deliver workshops to educate Ontario students, teachers, newcomers, and the public about their civil rights and freedoms, and democracy more broadly. This initiative will increase access to reliable and youth-centric information on civil liberties.

The Canadian Forum on Civil Justice will undertake public-focused, evidence-based, empirical research and dissemination activities that fill information gaps around civil and family justice needs in Ontario, as well as more broadly in Canada. This initiative will facilitate the creation of justice indicators and metrics that will support interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based decision making.

The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights' Pro Bono and Public Education Program will provide legal support that is tailored to the needs of low income tenants in Ontario who face eviction or experience human rights violations connected to their housing. CCHR will offer educational programming for service providers, workshops for community members, system navigation support, and referrals to volunteer lawyers. This initiative will enhance tenants’ access to timely and reliable legal support.

Community Legal Education Ontario’s CLEO Connect program will continue to develop clear, accurate, and practical legal rights education and information resources to help people understand and exercise their legal rights, with a particular focus on support for trusted intermediaries.