Table 13-1
Approved legal aid applications, staff and private lawyers by type of matter — Total approved applications1

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Total approved applications


Table summary
This table displays the results of total approved applications total, staff lawyers and private lawyers, calculated using number and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
  Total Staff lawyers Private lawyers
  number percent number percent
Newfoundland and Labrador  
2006/2007 4,123 4,100 99 23 1
2007/2008 4,063 3,998 98 65 2
2008/2009 4,490 4,430 99 60 1
2009/2010 4,889 4,746 97 143 3
2010/2011 4,673 4,506 96 167 4
Prince Edward Island  Note 2  
2006/2007 1,444 1,276 88 168 12
2007/2008 1,482 1,371 93 111 7
2008/2009 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable
2009/2010 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable
2010/2011 1,579 1,438 91 141 9
Nova Scotia  
2006/2007 16,580 12,964 78 3,616 22
2007/2008 17,314 13,412 77 3,902 23
2008/2009 18,332 13,553 74 4,779 26
2009/2010 19,749 16,177 82 3,572 18
2010/2011 19,606 15,861 81 3,745 19
New Brunswick  Note 3  
2006/2007 1,669 925 55 744 45
2007/2008 1,664 919 55 745 45
2008/2009 1,663 762 46 901 54
2009/2010 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable
2010/2011 3,297 1,803 55 1,494 45
Quebec  
2006/2007 214,836 98,889 46 115,947 54
2007/2008 215,324 99,912 46 115,412 54
2008/2009 222,885 104,650 47 118,235 53
2009/2010 227,216 105,299 46 121,917 54
2010/2011 223,518 103,692 46 119,826 54
Ontario  Note 4  
2006/2007 129,003 19,902 15 109,101 85
2007/2008 126,964 19,665 15 107,299 85
2008/2009 137,397 20,228 15 117,169 85
2009/2010 129,950 20,640 16 109,310 84
2010/2011 120,741 20,354 17 100,387 83
Manitoba  Note 5  
2006/2007 21,126 9,328 44 11,798 56
2007/2008 21,887 8,908 41 12,979 59
2008/2009 20,747 7,613 37 13,134 63
2009/2010 26,825 11,414 43 15,411 57
2010/2011 24,973 10,540 42 14,433 58
Saskatchewan  Note 6  
2006/2007 19,208 17,861 93 1,347 7
2007/2008 18,308 16,720 91 1,588 9
2008/2009 21,676 19,695 91 1,981 9
2009/2010 21,895 20,627 94 1,268 6
2010/2011 21,632 20,349 94 1,283 6
Alberta  
2006/2007 35,861 3,771 11 32,090 89
2007/2008 36,433 3,645 10 32,788 90
2008/2009 41,784 4,430 11 37,354 89
2009/2010 38,681 4,026 10 34,655 90
2010/2011 29,700 4,076 14 25,624 86
British Columbia  
2006/2007 30,441 919 3 29,522 97
2007/2008 31,297 697 2 30,600 98
2008/2009 32,528 757 2 31,771 98
2009/2010 26,518 280 1 26,238 99
2010/2011 27,802 57 0 27,745 100
Yukon  Note 7  
2006/2007 1,406 1,310 93 96 7
2007/2008 1,397 1,291 92 106 8
2008/2009 1,396 1,334 96 62 4
2009/2010 1,446 1,382 96 64 4
2010/2011 1,413 1,383 98 30 2
Northwest Territories  Note 8  
2006/2007 1,364 419 31 945 69
2007/2008 1,633 496 30 1,137 70
2008/2009 1,304 436 33 868 67
2009/2010 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable
2010/2011 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable
Nunavut  Note 9  
2006/2007 530 343 65 187 35
2007/2008 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable
2008/2009 722 509 70 213 30
2009/2010 220 102 46 118 54
2010/2011 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ...: not applicable
Total  
2006/2007 477,591 172,007 36 305,584 64
2007/2008 477,766 171,034 36 306,732 64
2008/2009 504,924 178,397 35 326,527 65
2009/2010 497,389 184,693 37 312,696 63
2010/2011 478,934 184,059 38 294,875 62
Approved legal aid application counts refer to full service applications only. An approved application for full service refers to an application for legal assistance which is granted as described in a certificate, referral, or any other authorization denoting that the applicant is entitled to legal aid services.          
The number of criminal applications assigned to staff lawyers in 2010/2011 is not available. Prince Edward Island Legal Aid records the number of cases completed by staff and private sector counsel. Staff lawyers closed 1,055 federal adult criminal and 185 youth applications in 2010/2011. Federal criminal and youth applications assigned to private counsel do not include applications handled by private sector counsel on a per diem basis while substituting or backfilling for a staff lawyer.          
Effective April 20, 2009, intake services for family legal aid were expanded when eligibility screening for services formerly captured under the Domestic Legal Aid program was transferred to New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission from the Department of Justice and Consumer Affairs.          
Ontario has 77 legal aid clinics that are independent, non-profit organizations funded by the legal aid plan. Staff lawyers and community legal workers at these clinics provide legal aid services primarily in "other" civil matters, particularly in the area of poverty law which includes, social assistance/income maintenance, landlord and tenant, workers' compensation, criminal injuries compensation, and refugee and immigration matters. In 2010/2011, these clinics accounted for 97% of total approved civil legal aid applications assigned to staff lawyers and 100% of "other" approved civil legal aid applications assigned to staff lawyers.          
In 2005/2006, Manitoba began to issue one legal aid certificate per matter. This led to an increase in the count for total, approved and refused legal aid applications. In 2006/2007, the use of certificate equivalents initiated by staff was discontinued, resulting in a decrease in the count for total and approved applications and an increase in refused applications. In 2009/2010, Manitoba began to include the number of applications that were used to generate secondary or tertiary certificates in the total number of legal aid applications reported. This led to an increase in the count for total and approved legal aid applications and accounts for the increase in approved applications assigned to staff and private lawyers.          
In 2008, all youth matters became eligible for legal aid under an agreement between the Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission and the Ministry of Justice's Court Services Branch. This led to an increase in the count for total and approved legal aid applications.          
No distinction is made between summary and full service applications in Yukon. All applications are counted as full service applications. Data for Yukon include duty counsel counts.          
Presumed eligibility counts are not included in the data for the Northwest Territories. Territorial offences are included with criminal matters.          
In 2009/2010, the capacity for statistical reporting in Nunavut was limited due to issues with information tracking systems. As a result, the number of approved applications may be underreported and are not comparable to previous years.          
Note(s): For more details on legal aid concepts and terminology refer to the glossary.          
           
.. not available for a specific reference period
... not applicable
1.
Approved legal aid application counts refer to full service applications only. An approved application for full service refers to an application for legal assistance which is granted as described in a certificate, referral, or any other authorization denoting that the applicant is entitled to legal aid services.
2.
The number of criminal applications assigned to staff lawyers in 2010/2011 is not available. Prince Edward Island Legal Aid records the number of cases completed by staff and private sector counsel. Staff lawyers closed 1,055 federal adult criminal and 185 youth applications in 2010/2011. Federal criminal and youth applications assigned to private counsel do not include applications handled by private sector counsel on a per diem basis while substituting or backfilling for a staff lawyer.
3.
Effective April 20, 2009, intake services for family legal aid were expanded when eligibility screening for services formerly captured under the Domestic Legal Aid program was transferred to New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission from the Department of Justice and Consumer Affairs.
4.
Ontario has 77 legal aid clinics that are independent, non-profit organizations funded by the legal aid plan. Staff lawyers and community legal workers at these clinics provide legal aid services primarily in "other" civil matters, particularly in the area of poverty law which includes, social assistance/income maintenance, landlord and tenant, workers' compensation, criminal injuries compensation, and refugee and immigration matters. In 2010/2011, these clinics accounted for 97% of total approved civil legal aid applications assigned to staff lawyers and 100% of "other" approved civil legal aid applications assigned to staff lawyers.
5.
In 2005/2006, Manitoba began to issue one legal aid certificate per matter. This led to an increase in the count for total, approved and refused legal aid applications. In 2006/2007, the use of certificate equivalents initiated by staff was discontinued, resulting in a decrease in the count for total and approved applications and an increase in refused applications. In 2009/2010, Manitoba began to include the number of applications that were used to generate secondary or tertiary certificates in the total number of legal aid applications reported. This led to an increase in the count for total and approved legal aid applications and accounts for the increase in approved applications assigned to staff and private lawyers.
6.
In 2008, all youth matters became eligible for legal aid under an agreement between the Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission and the Ministry of Justice's Court Services Branch. This led to an increase in the count for total and approved legal aid applications.
7.
No distinction is made between summary and full service applications in Yukon. All applications are counted as full service applications. Data for Yukon include duty counsel counts.
8.
Presumed eligibility counts are not included in the data for the Northwest Territories. Territorial offences are included with criminal matters.
9.
In 2009/2010, the capacity for statistical reporting in Nunavut was limited due to issues with information tracking systems. As a result, the number of approved applications may be underreported and are not comparable to previous years.
Note(s):
For more details on legal aid concepts and terminology refer to the glossary.
Source(s):
Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Legal Aid Survey 3308.
Date modified: