Funding details have yet to be confirmed, but the body governing Ontario’s lawyers and paralegals is the first of the LCO’s four partners to formally confirm its continuing support. In addition to the Law Society, the LCO receives funding from the Law Foundation of Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General and Osgoode Hall Law School. The deans of Ontario law schools also offer their support.
The Law Commission initiated the renewal process this summer with the hope of receiving approval in principle to operate through to 2017 as early as this spring.
“The LCO’s future is dependent upon continued support from our funding partners,” explains LCO Executive Director Patricia Hughes.
A positive evaluation and outcomes like Bill 133, which incorporated key elements of the LCO’s 2009 recommendations on pension division on marriage breakdown, will play a role in the renewal application.
“The early message from our founding partners has been positive,” says LCO Board Chair Larry Banack. “We’re all very optimistic about what lies ahead.”