Archives: Grants (page 20)

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.

Connecting Ottawa will continue to coordinate a consortium of over 50 legal and non-legal organizations to implement a regional plan to provide legal information and referrals to people who are not proficient in English or French or who face communication challenges as the result of a disability or sensory impairment. The initiative will also enhance linkages between legal and community workers in Ontario.

The Probono Inmate Appeal Program will continue to coordinate and support a roster of experienced criminal appellate counsel to act as duty counsel on the appeals of unrepresented appellants in criminal cases before the Court of Appeal for Ontario. This initiative will enhance unrepresented appellants’ access to legal support.

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 SRL’s needs, especially in relation to cultural and procedural matters that can often confound them.

The Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation’s (CERA) 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. CERA 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.

The Childhood Arrivals Support and Advocacy Program works to support undocumented childhood arrivals. These are young people who were moved to Canada as children who have lived all their lives without official authorization or documentation, and thus are vulnerable to deportation to birth countries where they have little to no connection. Activities include outreach to youth, teachers, and parents through schools and community programs and legal system navigation, including pro bono legal support, in an effort to file permanent residence applications.

University of Toronto, Faculty of Law will examine how the public’s perception of government interventions relating to COVID-19 influences public health outcomes in Canada. This multidisciplinary research study will build and draw upon unique sources of data to observe the factors that influence public response to government interventions and the efficacy of different interventions.

Kinbrace will consolidate its library of 39 individual region and language-based Refugee Hearing Preparation Guides into one online national version available in 12 languages. The Guide is designed to help refugee claimants better understand the refugee determination system and increase their capacity to prepare for their refugee hearing.

The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association will develop guides and public legal education materials for youth and their educators on digital privacy and rights in relation to law enforcement and other public regulated bodies. This initiative will support Ontario youth, particularly low-income and marginalized youth, become more aware of their digital privacy rights through tailored materials developed in response to a consultation process.

Drs. Rachel Birnbaum and Nicholas Bala will establish a pilot project to evaluate child-inclusive family mediation in Ontario to test whether this service can result in less expensive, more timely, and more durable dispute resolutions. It is a collaborative initiative with the support of the judiciary, mediation services, and government that could lead to a positive innovation in family law, ultimately improving outcomes for children and reducing the costs of family justice.