Job action by Alberta legal aid lawyers ends after government hikes rate 25 per cent

A courtroom at the Edmonton Law Courts building, in Edmonton on Friday, June 28, 2019. The Alberta government is hiking the amount of money it will pay for lawyers providing legal aid. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson)

CALGARY -

Alberta's defence lawyers have voted to pause months of job action after the government announced an interim increase to funding for legal aid.

Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro announced Wednesday the government is hiking the amount of money it will pay for lawyers serving people who have trouble affording legal counsel. Beginning Jan. 1, the rate is to increase from $100 to $125 per hour. 

"We would like to thank Minister Shandro for sitting down with our associations to understand our concerns," Kim Arial, secretary of the CDLA and a criminal defence lawyer in Calgary, said in a written statement Thursday. 

"We are grateful for all of his efforts in securing this much-needed increase, which demonstrates his commitment to a properly-funded legal aid system in Alberta."

Organizations representing lawyers in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer and southern Alberta launched job action on Aug. 8 and have largely refused to accept new legal aid cases since Sept. 26. 

The lawyers were demanding both an increase in rates paid on legal aid cases and for eligibility requirements to be changed so that more Albertans qualify for help. 

Members of the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association in Calgary, the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association in Edmonton, the Red Deer Criminal Defence Lawyers Association and the Southern Alberta Defence Lawyers Association voted Wednesday night to pause the job action. 

Arial acknowledges the job action caused significant backlogs in criminal courts across the province. But she said the groups look forward to participating in the ongoing review of all aspects of legal aid funding and want to ensure all low-income Albertans can access the legal representation they need.

"The government knows there is still much work to do," said Arial. 

"The associations look forward to continuing our discussions with the government of Alberta and will continue to push for a fair and equitable tariff."

Shandro approved a tariff increase in October from $92.40 to $100 an hour due to a rise in federal funding. He had asked the lawyers to wait for the results of a comprehensive review of the legal aid system and said the latest increase makes Alberta legal aid lawyers the fourth-highest paid in Canada. 

"I want to thank all legal aid lawyers for their patience and advocacy as we have worked our way through the review. Our commitment to review all aspects of legal aid funding remains in place and will be completed in the new year,'' Shandro said in a written statement Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2022.