What is Legal Aid Ontario’s Racialized Communities Strategy?

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is committed to ensuring that racialized clients do not face barriers to receiving LAO’s services and to combating systemic racism in the justice system.

From 2016-2019, LAO’s Racialized Communities Strategy consulted with clients, stakeholders and communities in Ontario about the experience of racialized people in the justice system and LAO’s role within it. Through this process, what emerged was the need for LAO to help work toward the following:

• Reduce barriers to access
• Ensure quality legal services
• Engage in systemic change

This resulted in the publication of the Racialized Communities Strategy and the launch of the Racialized Communities Action Plan, a 10‑year plan that commits LAO to 17 specific objectives in its work with racialized communities. These are to be achieved by 2030.

LAO will strive in the next ten years to ensure that its racialized clients receive high-quality legal services and ensure that they receive the full access to justice they have under the law.

Contact us

If you have any questions about LAO’s Racialized Communities Action Plan and its work with racialized communities, please contact the Racialized Communities Strategy at rcs@lao.on.ca.