Access to Justice Services Agreements

The Access to Justice Services Agreements are contribution agreements between the federal government and Canada’s three territories: the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. They are the means by which the federal government provides funding support to the territories for access to justice-related services in the areas of Legal Aid both criminal and civil, Aboriginal Courtwork and Public Legal Education and Information (PLEI).

Territorial governments are responsible for the management and administration of their access to justice services programs (Legal Aid, Aboriginal Courtwork and PLEI).

IF YOU NEED LEGAL AID OR ABORIGINAL COURTWORK SERVICES, PLEASE SEE CONTACT INFORMATION BELOW.

History

Since 1997, federal funding support for Legal Aid, Aboriginal Courtwork (formerly known as Native Courtworker) and PLEI has been provided to the territories through a single agreement with each territory that combines three previous funding arrangements (for Legal Aid, Aboriginal Courtwork and PLEI) into one. This approach, made at the request of the territories with the support of the federal government, is designed to ensure accountability while delivering flexibility for the territories to use the federal contribution to develop and deliver the justice-related programs required by their communities.

Publications and Resources

For further information on access to justice issues in the territories, please consult the Department of Justice's Research and Statistics Branch web page at http://canada.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/rs/index.html

Contact Information

Programs Branch
Department of Justice of Canada
284 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
CANADA
K1A 0H8

Telephone: 613 952-8566
Fax: 613 941-5446
E-mail: pb-dgp@justice.gc.ca