New legal aid agreement reached

Left to right: Ryan Callioux, KC, board chair, Legal Aid Alberta; Mickey Amery, KC, Minister of Justice and Attorney General; Deanna Steblyk, KC, president, Law Society of Alberta.

The Government of Alberta, Legal Aid Alberta and the Law Society of Alberta have finalized a new long-term governance agreement.

 Through a collaborative process, Alberta’s government, Legal Aid Alberta and the Law Society of Alberta have signed a new five-year governance agreement, representing a shared understanding of the importance of a high-quality, independent and sustainable legal aid program. 

The new governance agreement will come into effect on Sept. 6, 2024, and continues until Sept. 5, 2029.  

By signing this agreement, all involved have committed to ensuring Alberta’s legal aid system remains stable and continues to meet the needs of those who require legal assistance.

Please visit the Government of Alberta website to read the full announcement: 

News release: Legal aid agreement reached (Sept. 4, 2024)

The agreement reinforces Legal Aid Alberta’s ongoing and essential work resolving legal issues for disadvantaged Albertans and protecting the Rule of Law for the benefit of everyone.  

It formalizes the Government of Alberta’s commitment to work with and consult with Legal Aid Alberta, the Law Society of Alberta, and other critical stakeholders in the justice system on future decisions concerning legal aid, ensuring alignment with the legal needs of vulnerable Albertans. 

The agreement also extends our duty counsel services to Indigenous Courts and strengthens our liaison with Indigenous stakeholders, while continuing to acknowledge Legal Aid Alberta’s independence, recognizing that access to justice is a fundamental right for all Albertans and that an independent legal aid system is a central tenant of fairness in the justice system. 

Demand never stops  

Legal Aid Alberta is a cornerstone of Alberta’s justice system, assisting Albertans nearly 290,000 times every year across 75 communities. Legal Aid Alberta is not just a law firm for the marginalized—it is an indispensable pillar of a fair and democratic society. Legal rights are democratic rights.   

Our work in the past year includes:  

• 120,000 duty counsel assists in court,  

• 80,000 calls handled by our Contact Centre,  

• 41,000 certificates issued for criminal, family, and immigration cases,  

• 32,000 Justice of the Peace bail hearings,  

• 14,000 Brydges calls from police stations,  

• 2,500 emergency protection orders to keep families safe.  

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