WHITEWATER REGION (Cobden) — The Renfrew County Legal Clinic (RCLC) is in danger of having their budget significantly reduced, which will have an immediate and substantial effect on their direct client service delivery across Renfrew County. They are one of a total of 72 legal clinics across the province and have satellite offices across the county. These clinics operate on a budget of approximately $80 million.
According to the RCLC, in 2017, community clinics across Ontario provided services to over 240,000 people: clinics represented 21,289 people at courts or tribunals, gave 171,172 people detailed advice and assistance, and carried out 6,974 public legal education, community development, and law reform projects and initiatives.
“This significant cut will result in a loss of legal services to low income residents in our community,” said Amy Scholten, a practicing lawyer with RCLC who gave the presentation to Council. “[This will include] a loss of critical legal clinic services – such as access to landlord-tenant law, seniors’ law, consumer debt issues, legal interventions that ensure access to income supports like Canada Pension Plan Disability benefits, protection for injured workers, community development and public legal education.”
Scholten stated the absence of these services will have adverse economic consequences for the Township and surrounding communities. These consequences will include increased reliance on municipal services such as mental health services, hospitals and public housing, increased demand on local court from unrepresented people appearing without legal assistance, and increased reliance on social assistance administration resulting from people being denied the appropriate supports.
The RCLC provides direct front line legal services to low income clients across Renfrew County. They provide free legal services ranging from basic advice to full representation to low income residents and have been in business for over 30 years. Their service numbers continue to go up annually and they are working to further expand service delivery. Changes are being implemented slowly, Scholten stated, with the goal of all changes being implemented by March 2020.
The RCLC requested the Council of the Township of Whitewater Region call upon the Premier and the Attorney General to, “make a commitment to access to justice, to respect the commitment of their government to not decrease front line services; and to confirm that funding for community legal clinics will not be decreased.”
They also ask Council to urge the Province to restore funding to these services and ensure that all the residents of Renfrew County have access to a fair and equitable justice system, regardless of their incomes. Lastly, they requested the Township direct a copy of the resolution to the MPP for Renfrew County, the Attorney General, the LAO Board, the Premier and all Renfrew County municipalities.
