The year 2020 has brought up many challenges. As social media becomes more accesessible and people are becoming better informed about the world around them, there has been various movements concerning the environment, human rights violation, women's movement, social justice, racial equality and more. COVID19 has also brought new challenges and shed light to issues affecting our societies. This page is to inform you of your legal rights in Ontario and can serve as a resource for you in case you have altercations with the law. It can also assist you in knowing your rights and navigating the school system.

*Agencies you can contact when needed are outlined at the bottom of this page*

The following fact sheet gives a summary of the justice system and policing in Canada. It provides some facts and information that sheds light to the importance of social and systemic change in Canada, particularly in regards to the overrepresentation of Black, Indigenous and people of colour in the Canadian justice system.

cop-coc-fact-sheet-7-racialized-poverty-in-justice-policing-2.pdf

www.colourofpoverty.ca

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHO-W405pU8

Video explains the youth criminal justice system when it comes to Arrest, detention and bail of young persons in Canada.

Thinking of protesting?

Check out this Legal Toolkit created by BLAC.

Educate and empower yourself. Know your rights!

KnowYourRights_LegalToolkitForProtestors.pdf

Anti-Black Racism

Anti-Black Racism is defined here as policies and practices embedded within Canadian institutions that reflect and reinforce beliefs, attitudes, prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination that is directed at people of Black-African descent and is rooted in the unique history and experience of enslavement and colonization in Canada. (Anti-Racism Directorate, Ontario; Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit, City of Toronto).

The term ‘Anti-Black Racism’ was coined by Black organizers in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

https://www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca/

BLAC-General-Brochure.pdf

The School-to-Prison Pipeline refers to the school policies and procedures that drive many schoolchildren and young persons into a pathway that begins in school and ends in the criminal justice system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04pcSyzwoTg

cop-coc-fact-sheet-3-racialized-poverty-in-education-learning-3.pdf

www.colourofpoverty.ca

In order to protect and ensure the best opportunities for our young persons, it is important to be informed and seek support. Students who have been expelled or suspended may appeal or take legal action against the school/school board. Below is a guideline for parents and information about what to do for each grade and how to navigate the education system.

BLAC-Education-Brochure.pdf

https://www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca/

InfoSheet_BSS-JK-K_v5.pdf

Junior and Senior Kindergaten

InfoSheet_BSS-1-2_v5.pdf

Grades 1 - 2

InfoSheet_BSS-3_v5.pdf

Grade 3

InfoSheet_BSS-4-5_v5.pdf

Grades 4 - 5

InfoSheet_BSS-6-8_v5.pdf

Grades 6 - 8

InfoSheet_BSS-9_v5.pdf

Grade 9

InfoSheet_BSS-10-11_v5.pdf

Grades 10 - 11

InfoSheet_BSS-12_v5.pdf

Grade 12

DEFUND THE POLICE

What does it mean to 'defund the police'? and why are people calling for it?

The following video gives a brief explanation of the movement and the history behind it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMcwklHOyYU

If the police is defunded, where will the money go?

According to the Rolling Stones, these are 6 ideas for a cop-free world:

Unarmed mediation and intervention teams
The decriminalization of almost every nonviolent crime
Restorative Justice
Direct democracy at the community level
Community patrols
Real mental-healthcare

To read more about it go to:

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/police-brutality-cop-free-world-protest-199465/#ixzz3MAjhe2IM

https://images.app.goo.gl/71WHXGyq2TJAKEqj9

https://images.app.goo.gl/uVgyowJiXHxTPWFf8

For more information the following website has been created to help individuals campaign to defund police departments across all major cities in Canada.

https://www.defund.ca/

Legal services in Ontario :

About BLAC

The Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is a new not-for-profit corporation set up under the laws of Ontario in 2017.

BLAC delivers legal aid services to low and no income Black Ontarians. They work to combat individual and systemic anti-Black racism by:

providing legal representation, summary legal advice and brief services to individual clients
engaging in test case litigation, law reform and community development to improve the laws that affect low income people
giving public legal information sessions to members of the public and other community agencies.

They can help clients by:

giving legal advice
helping with filling out forms
representation at some tribunals and courts
references to other agencies for other services

Black Legal Action Centre

720 Spadina Avenue, Suite 221

Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2T9

Phone: 416-597-5831

Toll-free: 1-877-736-9406

Fax: 416-925-3564

Toll-free Fax: 1-844-302-2694

TTY Line: 1-800-855-0511

Hours of Operation

Monday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday: 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Closed daily for lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday CLOSED

Closed on all Statutory Holidays.

Closed on August 1 each year for Emancipation Day.

About ALS

ALS was formed following a needs assessment by the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto in the mid-1980s.
Seeks a community which deals with justice issues in an assertive, constructive and respectful way.
A community which provides support and guidance to its citizens when they need to interact with the justice system.
A community involved in developing and implementing justice initiatives and alternatives which are culturally based and community controlled.
A community where our youth have the opportunities and abilities to deal with justice issues affecting them.
A community where its citizens have minimum exposure to the existing legal system and are less vulnerable to acts of aggression, of racism and ignorance of who we are.
A community which resolves its conflicts internally with minimal need for outside involvement.
A community which promotes a positive environment related to justice issues - an environment based on mutual understandings with non-aboriginal groups/services such as schools, police, and other enforcement agencies.
A community where its agencies work together to ensure justice and related services and issues are provided in holistic and integrated way.
A community where its citizens have the confidence and self-esteem to deal with issues in a constructive way.

http://www.aboriginallegal.ca/

ABORIGINAL LEGAL SERVICES

Community Council: is a criminal diversion program for Aboriginal offenders - adult and youth - who live in Toronto. The project takes Aboriginal offenders out of the criminal justice system and brings them before members of the Aboriginal community. The members of the Council are men and women who represent a cross-section of Toronto's Aboriginal community. The focus of the Community Council is to develop a plan by consensus that will allow the offender to take responsibility for his/her actions, address the root causes of the problem, an reintegrate him/her into the community in a positive way.

Aboriginal court workers explain legal rights and obligations to their clients. They assist in securing legal counsel, finding interpreters if they are needed, assist with pre-sentence reports, bail hearings, and referrals. Aboriginal Legal Services operates Aboriginal criminal, family and youth court worker programs in Toronto. Aboriginal criminal court workers attend all the Toronto area criminal courts. The family and youth court workers are located at family court at 311 Jarvis and also can go to other courts if necessary.

The Giiwedin Anang Council- is an Indigenous Dispute Resolution program for families involved in conflict with each other and the child welfare system. The Council is made up of a selection of Volunteers from the Indigenous Community in Toronto.

The Legal Clinic serves people in a variety of areas including:

Housing, ODSP/OW,
Indian Act Matters, Canada Pension, Disability, Police Complaints, Criminal Injuries Compensation, and Human Rights. Referrals to Lawyers on other matters including criminal and family law can be arranged.

The Legal Clinic is a community legal aid clinic, funded by Legal Aid Ontario, which provides free legal assistance to low income Aboriginal people living in the City of Toronto.

The Clinic is involved in law reform, community organizing, public legal education, and test case litigation.

Head Office

211 Yonge Street, Suite 500

Toronto, ON M5B 1M4

416-408-4041

info@aboriginallegal.ca

Office Hours

Monday - Friday | 9 am - 5 pm

Saturday Sundays & Holidays | closed

Email intake requests will not be accepted.

Please call or walk in to the office.

Phone: (416) 408-3967

Fax: (416) 408-1568

Email: info@aboriginallegal.ca

Phone: (416) 408-4041

Toll Free: 1-844-633-2886

Indigenous Bar Association

PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIGENOUS LAW.

The Indigenous Bar Association in Canada is a national non-profit association of First Nation, Metis and Inuit persons in Canada trained in the field of law. Membership includes judges, lawyers, political leaders, academics, articling and law students.

Address:

70 Pineglen Crescent

Ottawa, ON

K2G 0G8

Email:

achalmers@indigenousbar.ca

https://indigenousbar.ca/

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