REGINA, Sask. — A new $2-million-a-year initiative from Legal Aid Saskatchewan aims to improve access to justice for Indigenous people by connecting legal advocacy with community-based services.
The Kintohpatatin initiative was announced Oct. 26 and is funded by the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan, which has agreed to provide Legal Aid Saskatchewan with $2 million annually.
Legal Aid Saskatchewan CEO Jayne Mallin said the funding will support 10 regional community justice advocates, including two based in Regina, as well as cultural programming, client support, staff training and program evaluation. The initiative will also have a dedicated program manager.
While the initiative is still in its early stages, Mallin said it is off to a good start.
“We’re just in the process of developing our job descriptions … We hope to have people in place by the new year,” Mallin said.
The announcement comes as Oct. 27 marks National Duty Counsel Day, which recognizes legal aid lawyers who provide free, often immediate legal assistance to people navigating the justice system without a private lawyer.
This year, Legal Aid Saskatchewan is also highlighting its expanded efforts to provide duty counsel services in child protection matters.
“We’ve recently — at Legal Aid — started duty counsel for child protection matters, because we don’t want people slipping through the cracks. We want to be available for anybody who comes into the courtroom those days when they’re both vulnerable and facing consequences that are most severe,” Mallin said.
