Canadians benefit from outstanding social services. We’re all familiar with our public health care, but few know about our legal services. We made a day to change that.
Duty counsel are legal aid lawyers who make a difference in the lives of Canadians. Our right to legal representation is as Canadian as health care.
Not everyone is aware that in Canada you have a charter right to free legal representation in certain situations, because legal rights are not just for people who can afford a lawyer.
Duty counsel work from coast to coast to coast every day, providing legal advice in criminal law, family law, and immigration law. They stand up for victims of domestic violence. They protect the legal rights of Canadians — free of charge.
Now, there is a special day designated to recognize duty counsel. Legal Aid BC, working with its national partners in the Association of Legal Aid Plans of Canada, is celebrating the inaugural Duty Counsel Day on October 27, 2021.
On June 29, Senator Patti LaBoucane-Benson declared October 27 as National Duty Counsel Day in recognition of the vital service duty counsel deliver every day.
Visit the Duty Counsel Day website to read stories about the lawyers who work as duty counsel across the country, discover the difference they make, and find out about upcoming events.