POA Consultation Paper Experiences Document Press Release – November 2009

TORONTO, December 3, 2009 – The LCO is today releasing a “Tell Us Your Experiences” Paper in its project on Modernization of the Provincial Offences Act to help people give their opinion on necessary reforms. The Experiences Paper encourages lay people who have a relevant experience in the provincial offences system to share it with the LCO. It complements the Consultation Paper released on November 16, 2009. The consultation is the first stage of a project that will develop recommendations for changes to the Provincial Offences Act (POA) and possibly other statutes that significantly affect prosecutions under the POA. Each year there are millions of charges in Ontario to which the POA applies. The charges are in such diverse areas as parking, driving, health and safety and environment. As a result the POA touches and affects many Ontarians. As part of researching reforms, the LCO invites the general public to contribute their thoughts on reform based on their own experience with the POA. “Developments in the law since the POA came into force nearly 30 years ago, such as the adoption of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and new technologies, have passed the POA by,” said the Executive Director of the LCO, Dr. Patricia Hughes, “resulting in considerable interest by individuals and organizations in examining the POA to discover what changes it needs to make it a more modern and effective statute that best serves the interests of Ontarians.” Responses to the Consultation Paper and experiences with the provincial offences system will be accepted until Monday, February 1, 2010. Our website offers information about different ways to participate in this and other projects which affect the lives of people in Ontario. Launched in September 2007, the LCO’s broad mandate is to increase access to justice. It is funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario, the Ministry of the Attorney General, Osgoode Hall Law School and the Law Society of Upper Canada and supported by the law deans of the other Ontario law schools. It operates independently of government to recommend reforms designed to increase access to justice.