Feds offer funding
Victims of sexual violence to get free legal advice
Victims of sexual assault will have access to free, independent legal advice starting later this year under a pilot program financed by the federal government.
Federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-raybould was in St. John’s Tuesday to announce that Ottawa is spending $3.2 million over five years to increase victims’ services in Newfoundland and Labrador.
It’s not clear what all that money will be spent on, but over the next three years $250,000 per year will pay for up to four hours of legal advice for sexual assault victims.
“We’re working on identifying the specifics of the actual program itself. Right now, the number seems to be four hours of independent legal advice. That seems to be what’s happening in Ontario,” provincial Justice Minister Andrew Parsons said.
Parsons said he wants to see the program up and running by the end of the year.
At Tuesday’s funding announcement, Bev Moore-davis spoke about her experience as a survivor of childhood abuse and sexual assault.
Moore-davis, founder of the Miles for Smiles foundation against child sexual abuse, said she believes the opportunity for legal advice will make survivors of sexual assault more likely to come forward to police.
Wilson-raybould said supporting victims strengthens the justice system as a whole.
“I’m convinced that the better we understand and meet the needs of victims of crime, the more just and more fair our criminal justice system will become,” she said.
Parsons said all the other supports for victims remain in place, but none of that is a substitute for a few hours with a lawyer, offering advice on how to navigate the criminal justice system.
Frances Knickle, director of public prosecutions explained that Crown prosecutors don’t work for the victims — their role is to advocate for justice.
She said prosecutors work with victims, but that role can make it more difficult to be impartial.