The CBA has launched a major national initiative to raise awareness of the importance of adequate legal aid services to our system of justice and to try to resolve the crisis. Public funding should be confirmed as necessary to ensure access to justice for low-income people. Public funding for legal aid must be increased. National standards for criminal and civil legal aid coverage and eligibility criteria are required. The federal government should revitalize its commitment to legal aid.
Legal aid provides access to legal advice and representation to low income individuals.
Without legal aid, the most disadvantaged people in our society would be effectively barred from protecting their rights and interests through the legal system. Our sense of justice and democracy demands that this barrier be removed. Fairness blind justice with a balance in her hands is at the core of our judicial system. If one party to a legal proceeding is represented by a lawyer and the other party is not, the fairness of the proceeding is called into question. This is especially true if the State is a party to the proceeding, for example in criminal law or child protection matters, and if the other party does not have the benefit of legal counsel because he or she has very limited financial resources.