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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2001

OTTAWA — "Clara" is a senior citizen who was married to a man who was physically, verbally and mentally abusive for 35 years. She couldn't take it any more, so she moved out of the province, tried a "do-it-yourself" divorce kit and failed when her husband contested the divorce. She tried the legal system, but couldn't afford the fees. When she applied for legal aid, she was told that the plan in Yukon (her new home) doesn't cover divorces.

Without access to her share of the marital assets, and no source of funding other than welfare and CPP, Clara has nowhere to turn. That's what the legal aid system in this country has done for Clara.

This true story is the third to be released by the CBA in its continuing effort to bring legal aid "horror stories" to the attention of governments, media and the Canadian public.

"Clara's plight is just plain unfair," says Daphne Dumont, Q.C., of Charlottetown, President of the CBA and legal aid activist. "It's yet another example of how ordinary Canadians suffer when they're denied access to justice."

Daphne Dumont is continuing her efforts to pressure governments to improve the delivery of legal aid in Canada. In her report to CBA Council at the Mid-Winter Meeting in Mont Ste-Anne, Quebec, Feb. 16-18, Ms. Dumont says, "I plan to meet again with the federal justice minister to ensure that progress is being made on government promises made last fall for bridge funding, and on what's being done to meet the public's unmet need for legal aid."

The CBA's Legal Aid Watch, launched in August 2000, is a grassroots network of lawyers across the country deeply concerned about the state of legal aid funding and its impact on Canadians. They monitor the administration of legal aid in their own communities and file e-mail reports of "horror stories" to the CBA, which in turn circulates these stories to media and legislators at both the provincial and federal level.

Two horror stories have already been released, one on Oct. 28 and the second on Dec. 15, 2000. Both cases can be accessed through the CBA website, cba.org.

The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 lawyers, notaries, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.

The full text of "Clara's" story is attached.

CONTACT:
Hannah Bernstein, Canadian Bar Association, 500 - 865 Carling Ave. , Ottawa, ON, K1S 5S8 Tel: (613) 237-2925; E-mail: hannahb@cba.org