Archives: Grants (page 27)

The Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association (CMLA) will expand its Muslim Legal Support Centre (MLSC), which connects low to-moderate income Muslim communities across the Greater Toronto Area to free summary advice. CMLA will host satellite summary advice clinics and deliver public legal education workshops in partnerships with community organizations. CMLA will also facilitate warm referrals to lawyers on the MLSC pro bono roster, as needed. This initiative will connect underserved Muslim communities to culturally and linguistically appropriate legal support.

Capital Rainbow Refuge will develop a refugee hearing preparation toolkit for individuals claiming refugee protection based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and/or sexual characteristics. The toolkit will include an overview of the refugee claim process, tips on completing a basis of claim and gathering evidence, and links to legal and social supports. The toolkit will be available in English, French, Spanish, and Arabic. This initiative will connect individuals to practical information to help them navigate the refugee claim process.

Caregivers Action Centre (CAC) will create and share public legal education resources to assist migrant care workers (care workers) to apply for permanent residency through the Federal government’s Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilot programs. CAC will create fact sheets, infographics, and short videos with up-to-date information on the application process for both programs and tips for navigating common barriers. Partners include The Ontario Employment Education & Research Centre. This initiative will connect migrant care workers to timely and practical system navigation support.

Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation will develop a pro bono program to match volunteer lawyers with low-income renters in the Greater Toronto Area who are facing the loss of their home due to eviction or a human rights violation, and who are underserved by the current service landscape. It will also provide public legal education to vulnerable renters to educate them about their housing rights.

The Centre for Refugee Studies will develop an open access legal analytics online application (Refugee Law Portal) to provide refugee lawyers and refugee claimants access to timely data relating to refugee law decision-making, including data visualization, statistical analysis, customizable views of granular data, and links to relevant published decisions. The objective of this initiative is to lessen the asymmetry in access to data by making data on refugee law adjudication user-friendly and freely accessible to all interested parties, and it offers a model for the development of nonprofit open-access legal technology that advances access to justice and transparency in the justice sector.

Christie Refugee Welcome Centre will pilot a program for unaccompanied and separated refugee children (minors under 18 years old who are in Canada without a parent or legal guardian) by providing specialized services and establishing connections with federal immigration bodies, Ontario child welfare system agencies, and community legal organizations. The initiative will improve immigration, settlement, child welfare, and education outcomes for these minors.

Community Legal Education Ontario will examine the evaluation methods and range of processes that are currently being used by community-based organizations in Ontario to assess their public legal education and information (PLEI) work. The objective of this initiative is to lay the groundwork to develop a measurement tool to assist community-based organizations assess the impact of their PLEI programs and projects.

Indigenous Bar Association (IBA) will measure the current progress of ongoing efforts to revitalize Indigenous laws in Ontario. Using a broad range of measurement indexes, the IBA will examine both the revitalization of Indigenous laws within Indigenous spaces and communities, as well as the application of Indigenous laws in common and civil law spaces (such as courts). IBA will also develop toolkits for Indigenous communities, as well as for courts and tribunals in Ontario so they can continue with evaluation work beyond the lifespan of this initiative.

The Indigenous Law Centre at the University of Saskatchewan (ILC) will continue work on its legal education initiatives, which include national legal research, academic and publications programs, and a national summer law program. This initiative will support ILC’s ongoing efforts to advance access to justice for Indigenous peoples.

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. Program 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.