Five County Connecting Regions Project 2010:

1. Five County Connecting Regions Project 2010: Increasing Legal Literacy and Access to Justice for Rural Residents and Linguistic Communities

2. Law Foundation of Ontario Report: Connecting across language and distance: Linguistic and Rural Access to Legal Information and Services (2008)

3. Main recommendations relevant to our Project • 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)

4. Rural challenges according to Report • 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

5. Linguistic challenges according to Report • Legal interpretation / language challenges • Cultural and attitudinal barriers • Lack of literacy skills and knowledge of the legal system • Poverty and social isolation

6. Report recommendations and overcoming Rural and Linguistic challenges Outreach via: • 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.

7. Report recommendations and overcoming Rural and Linguistic challenges • 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

8. Report Conclusions Priority areas of law are: • 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.

9. Report Conclusions • Rural and linguistic access are fundamental A2J issues • Vulnerable people need legal service more than self-help • 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

10. 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.”

11. 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)

12. 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)

13. Report excerpt

14. Report excerpt

15. Report excerpt

16. Report excerpt

17. Report recommends Regional Planning Model • 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

18. 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

19. Five County Connecting Region Project • Phase I Funded for: • 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)

20. Project Partners • 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

21. Focus Groups • 1-3 Focus Groups in each of the five counties • Aboriginal Focus Groups • Specialty Legal Clinics with provincial mandates: • Community Legal Education Ontario • CLEONet • ARCH Disability Law Centre • Canadian Environmental Law Association • Advocacy Centre for the Elderly • Justice for Children and Youth

22. Community Access to Justice Tool Kit • 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/ConnectingRegions