January 27, 2020
Province Releases Review of Legal Aid Manitoba
– – –Report Identifies Important Opportunities for Improvements While Continuing to Provide Quality Service for Manitobans: Cullen
The Manitoba government is releasing the review of Legal Aid Manitoba that deals with the structure, operations and decision-making of Legal Aid Manitoba (LAM), Justice Minister Cliff Cullen announced today.
“Our government is committed to modernizing Manitoba’s justice system and we recognize legal aid is integral to ensuring access to justice for all,” said Cullen. “This review reinforced the excellent work already being done, while also identifying some important opportunities to make improvements while continuing to deliver quality service to Manitobans who need it.”
The report’s 15 conclusions and recommendations identify opportunities to change how caseloads, staffing and finances are handled, with the goal of improving legal services to Manitobans and supporting the sustainability of the organization. The minister has asked the Legal Aid Management Council, which provides strategic direction and oversight to LAM, to review the report’s findings and determine how to best implement improvements.
The minister noted a priority area for the management council is to provide advice respecting the amounts paid to private lawyers for work conducted on behalf of legal aid clients.
The report was written by Allan Fineblit, a well-respected legal expert who has most recently reviewed Manitoba’s family law system and has previously worked in numerous roles connected to legal aid throughout his career. In December 2019, Fineblit was appointed as the chairperson of the Legal Aid Management Council, along with several other new members.
The independent review of LAM and its recommendations are available online at www.gov.mb.ca/justice under Publications.
For more information about LAM, visit www.legalaid.mb.ca/.
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