As of today, private defence lawyers in Manitoba are again refusing to provide legal aid to clients in bail court.
The president of the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association of Manitoba is hoping the job action will “keep the government’s feet to the fire” in the midst of an ongoing battle over legal aid.
Gerri Wiebe says that lawyers aren’t getting the respect from the government that they deserve.
“Our concerns aren’t being addressed in any reasonable fashion,” said Wiebe. “We really don’t see any alternative at this stage.”
Three weeks ago, 150 lawyers who deal with the majority of legal aid cases in Manitoba threatened to walk off the job if the government refused to meet.
That initial threat was rescinded when Manitoba Justice agreed to sit with defence attorneys last week.
The dispute over legal aid started because private defence lawyers haven’t seen an increase in legal aid rates in 12 years.
The lawyers are now asking the government to release a $1.5 million surplus in the operating budget to fund a portion of increases to wages as a short-term fix.
