Funding Announced to Support Bilingual Justice Services in Ontario

The Government of Canada has announced funding to enhance access to justice services in both English and French across Ontario. The funding, totaling $68,589 for the year 2024-2025, is allocated to Collège La Cité. This initiative is part of the Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund, which aims to support official language minority communities in Canada.

Collège La Cité will use the funds to conduct a feasibility study addressing the shortage of law clerks in francophone minority communities. The study will explore how the college's French Law Clerk program can help fill labor shortages and meet the needs of provincial legal systems. This program is the only one of its kind offered in Ontario and has been in place since 1990.

The funding is intended to improve the availability of French-language legal services and enhance access to justice for French-speaking citizens. The study will also assess how training can be expanded to other provinces with francophone minority communities.

The Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund is part of the Action Plan for Official Languages of Canada, which supports the development and vitality of English and French minority communities across the country.