LAA is launching a new process to improve client service by streamlining the process for clients who already have active coverage for an adult criminal matter. Previously, when a client with an active criminal certificate contacted us to apply for coverage on new charges where the Crown had proceeded summarily, they were referred to duty counsel to assess likelihood of imprisonment upon conviction—a requirement of our Service Eligibility Guidelines.
We heard your feedback: this process sometimes takes a long time, and if the client is facing jail on one set of charges, our results indicate that they usually face a likelihood of incarceration on the new charges, too.
In response to these concerns, our process now considers that if a client already has active coverage for outstanding criminal matters, then the client also faces a reasonable likelihood of incarceration on any new eligible Level 1 charges, even if the Crown proceeds summarily. When the client applies for coverage on the new charges, and if the two matters are both in the same service location, we will be able to proceed to offer the new certificate to the client’s existing roster lawyer, rather than waiting for duty counsel to determine whether the client is facing a likelihood of incarceration on the new charges.
Thank you for your feedback regarding this process; we expect that this new process will improve our continuity of service and make it possible for clients to move forward with their matters much more quickly in many instances.
