Alberta’s Defence Lawyers Vote to Pause Job Action After Government Announces Interim Increase to Legal Aid Funding

The increase announced yesterday demonstrates Government of Alberta’s commitment to reviewing all aspects of legal aid funding, including those who qualify for legal representation

/EIN News/ -- CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After nearly five months of job action, members of the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association (CDLA), the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA), the Red Deer Criminal Defence Lawyers Association (RDCDLA) and the Southern Alberta Defence Lawyers Association (SADL) (“the associations”) have voted to pause the current job action in light of the interim increase to the legal aid tariff announced by the Government of Alberta yesterday. This will increase the hourly rate paid to legal aid lawyers by 25 per cent, effective January 1, 2023.

“We would like to thank Minister Shandro for sitting down with our associations to understand our concerns,” says Kim Arial, Secretary of the CDLA and a criminal defence lawyer in Calgary. “We are grateful for all of his efforts in securing this much-needed increase, which demonstrates his commitment to a properly-funded legal aid system in Alberta. We look forward to participating in the ongoing review of all aspects of legal aid funding, where we will advocate to ensure all low-income Albertans can access the legal representation they need.”

Since the summer, the associations have worked tirelessly to advocate for adequate funding for Alberta’s legal aid plan. Until now, Legal Aid Alberta was compensating lawyers at rates substantially lower than what is paid in other provinces and was not providing lawyers with enough time to properly prepare for trials. Chronic underfunding of the program also meant that many Albertans living below the poverty line were told they made too much money to qualify for legal aid representation. To draw attention to these issues, defence lawyers stopped providing some legal aid services in August 2022. In early September 2022, more services were withdrawn. Since September 26, 2022, they have refused all new legal aid files. This has caused significant backlogs in criminal courts across the province and trickle-down impacts in other areas of law (including family and child protection matters).

“While yesterday’s announcement is a step in the right direction, the Government knows there is still much work to do,” says Arial. “The associations look forward to continuing our discussions with the Government of Alberta and will continue to push for a fair and equitable tariff.”

Although this is a step in the right direction, it is important to understand that the impacts of this ongoing job action will continue to be felt as lawyers throughout the province navigate an overwhelming demand for legal aid.

“These are important conversations to ensure fair compensation for legal aid lawyers and access to representation for low-income individuals,” says Arial. “We are eager to discuss these issues with the Government, because the best way to promote the efficient delivery of justice is to reduce the number of self-represented litigants and to ensure experienced and knowledgeable lawyers remain willing to take legal aid files.”

About the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association
The CDLA advocates for criminal defence lawyers, their clients, and self-represented individuals on issues relating to our criminal justice system.

About the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association
The CTLA unifies defence counsel from across Alberta. Together, the organization affects change in the judicial system and develops new ways of advocating on behalf of clients. For over forty years, the Criminal Trial Lawyers’ Association has provided a strong voice for all Albertan defence counsel. This website provides one further means of uniting defence counsel to ensure that our concerns are heard, and our clients’ rights protected.

For Media Inquiries, please contact:

Rebecca Hurl
Brookline Public Relations, Inc.
403-818-6918
rhurl@brooklinepr.com