LAO Bail Coverage to Increase to Address COVID Challenges 

  • January 29, 2021

With the move to virtual hearings during COVID-19, Legal Aid Ontario recognizes bail hearings are taking significantly longer to prepare for and conduct. 

With the move to virtual hearings during COVID-19, Legal Aid Ontario recognizes bail hearings are taking significantly longer to prepare for and conduct. 

To account for this increase in time, LAO will double compensation for bail hearings for block fee and tariff matters on certificates issued on or after January 1, 2021. 

This temporary support is part of LAO’s COVID-19 response and not intended as a permanent increase.

The increase acknowledges counsel’s important work and dedication to effective representation of LAO clients at bail, and highlights LAO's commitment to vulnerable, Indigenous and racialized clients who are overrepresented in custody and on remand.

While LAO makes the necessary updates to their billing system to accommodate the change, they encourage counsel to take on bail matters at the new 4-hour rate. They ask, however, for counsel to not to bill the matters until February 28, 2021. This permits LAO to make the necessary changes to their billing system.