Legal Aid Ontario
- Ministry
- Attorney General
- URL
- www.legalaid.on.ca
- Address
-
20 DUNDAS STREET WEST, SUITE 730
TORONTO
M5G2H1 - Phone
- (416) 979-1446
- Fax
- (416) 979-8669
- Background
- Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 (opens a new window)
- Function
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) exists to administer a cost-effective and efficient system for providing high-quality legal services to low-income people in Ontario.
The corporation, which is governed and managed by its board of directors, establishes policies and priorities for the provision of legal aid services based on its financial resources. The corporation advises the Attorney General on all aspects of legal aid services in Ontario.
Legal aid is provided across the province by staff lawyers, private members of the bar working on legal aid certificates, and LAO-funded community legal clinics. Co-ordination among these different methods, other aspects of the justice system, and community services is supported by LAO. Public legal information and education is available online at www.legalaid.on.ca, and at legal information centres and courthouses province-wide.
- Membership
The corporation consists of the members of its board of directors appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Attorney General.
The board shall be composed of 11 persons appointed for a specified term. Five of the persons shall be selected by the Attorney General from a list of persons recommended by the Law Society of Ontario. One shall be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council as chair of the board, on the recommendation of the Attorney General, in consultation with the Law Society of Ontario. If there are one or more vacancies on the board, the remaining members may exercise all the powers of the board if they would constitute a quorum of the fully constituted board.
- Term
There is no limitation in legislation.
- Meetings
- The board of directors meets once every two months or at the call of the chair of the board.
- Remuneration
Appointees to Legal Aid Ontario are remunerated $375 per diem except for the chair of the board, who is remunerated at a rate set by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
Appointments & Vacancies
| No. | Position | Member | Term | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Chair (Full-Time) | JAMES STEPHEN PENGELLY | 14-Apr-2022 - 13-Apr-2025 |
bath |
| 2. | Member (Part-Time) | ERIN BETTS | 27-Jul-2023 - 26-Jul-2024 |
toronto |
| 3. | Member (Part-Time) | LOUISE HARRIS | 08-Sep-2022 - 07-Sep-2024 |
oakville |
| 4. | Member (Part-Time) | MELANIE DEBASSIGE | 19-Jan-2023 - 18-Jan-2025 |
m'chigeeng |
| 5. | Member (Part-Time) | JENNIFER GOLD | 10-Dec-2022 - 09-Dec-2025 |
brampton |
| 6. | Member (Part-Time) | DEBORAH MORIAH | 07-Jan-2023 - 06-Jan-2026 |
toronto |
| 7. | Member (Part-Time) | PETER JOHNSON | 07-Jan-2023 - 06-Jan-2026 |
toronto |
| 8. | Member (Part-Time) | SARA WISKING | 11-Jan-2024 - 10-Jan-2026 |
seaforth |
| 9. | Member (Part-Time) | BRYN GRAY | 14-Jan-2023 - 13-Jan-2026 |
toronto |
| 10. | Member (Part-Time) | JULIA BAILEY | 29-Apr-2023 - 28-Apr-2026 |
orillia |
| 11. | Member (Part-Time) |