Legal Aid Services and Karen Hudson

defence lawyers: The Justice Department has now committed to maintaining the level of additional funding at $30 million a year to further boost legal aid services for people who cannot afford to pay for defence lawyers, according to The Waterloo Record. That level of additional funding will not be reached until 2021 — two years after the next election — but provincial governments, criminal defence lawyers and advocates welcomed the renewed federal involvement in the file as an important first step to a better system. "It a step in the right direction and I would like to keep moving in that direction," said Karen Hudson, executive director of the Nova Scotia Legal Aid Commission. "I see it also as a validation of action and not just talk that legal aid is essential," said Hudson, who is also chair of the Association of Legal Aid Plans of Canada but insisted Wednesday she was speaking personally, rather than on its behalf. The Liberal government committed $88 million over five years in the federal budget, beginning with $9 million this fiscal year. Since 2003, the federal contribution to provincially run criminal legal aid programs has remained around $112 million per year, which has become a shrinking fraction of the nearly $800 million in total government investment for all kinds of legal aid, including family law. "For years, the provinces and territories, through their justice ministers, have not stopped demanding for a return to a more equitable sharing of legal aid costs," Quebec Justice Minister Stephanie Vallee said in a statement emailed by spokeswoman Emilie Simard. "We are therefore pleased the appeal was heard," said Vallee. Legal Aid Ontario says the funding will go towards expanding its work for the criminal justice system, particularly for clients who are indigenous, ethnic minorities or experiencing mental health issues. After so many years, the provinces already have plans for the funding. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.