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Minister committed to legal
aid initiatives for economically Tom Marshall, Justice Minister and Attorney General, today concluded meetings in Ottawa with federal, provincial and territorial justice ministers to discuss a number of issues of importance to Canada�s justice system. "Discussions relating to Legal Aid were high on our priority list, and there was strong support from other jurisdictions across Canada for improvements to federal legal aid funding. There are increasing pressures for services to help families, women, children, aboriginals and other economically disadvantaged citizens who require legal representation, but do not have the necessary financial resources," stated Minister Marshall. "We are working to establish a separate national civil legal aid agreement and increased federal financial support acceptable to all jurisdictions, and remain committed to improving civil legal aid services in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is important to not only receive initial funding to introduce new innovative programs and services, but also to be able to sustain them and have these services in place for the long-term. "I am pleased with Federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General Irwin Cotlers� commitment to improve legal aid, and to push for additional federal funding, especially for civil legal aid. Legal Aid does a tremendous service across Newfoundland and Labrador, but remains under-funded and could be doing so much more if the federal government made adjustments to cost-share legal aid services," added Marshall. "We will continue to work diligently to find new avenues to improve financial support and provide fair access to legal aid services across the province." Also included on the agenda were issues related to tougher sentencing, aboriginal justice, spousal abuse, the protection of vulnerable persons and miscarriages of justice. Minister Marshall added: "These meetings were a great opportunity to meet and discuss important justice issues with counterparts from across Canada. I was pleased with the discussions and look forward to continued collaboration with my counterparts and federal officials to ensure that justice issues affecting this province are given top priority. I was particularly pleased with the positive approach of Minister Cotler and his obvious interest in enhancing access for all Canadians, as access to justice is the foundation of a just society." Media contact: Heather MacLean, Communications, (709) 729-6985 or (709) 690-2498 2005 01 25 4:20 p.m. |
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