We may be able to help you if you are likely to receive a jail sentence or face deportation consequences.
People without a lawyer can contact us up to 14 days before their first appearance in criminal court to request Early Appearance Assistance from a duty counsel lawyer.
Connecting with duty counsel before your first appearance is important to:
Early Appearance Assistance from Legal Aid Alberta is not available on the same day as your court appearance. If your court date is today, you must attend your court appearance yourself.
If you need help at court, we can provide a duty counsel lawyer to help you set a trial date, speak with the Crown on your behalf, run a bail hearing, explain the nature of your charges, and more. Duty counsel is a free service available to all Albertans, regardless of your income.
You can speak to a duty counsel lawyer by telephone 24/7, free of charge. You have the right to receive free legal advice from a lawyer 24 hours a day. Our reserved phone number is posted in all police stations.
If you have been denied bail, you will need to call to apply for legal aid. If you are awaiting your bail hearing, we can provide a duty counsel lawyer who can help you through our Justice of the Peace Bail Program.
Legal Aid Alberta uses a translation service to provide over the phone interpretation and translation for clients who do not speak English.
At the time of the call, the intake officer may first inquire if the caller has a friend, family or worker available to help translate.
No, applications cannot be made on behalf of another person unless you can confirm that you are their court-appointed guardian.
