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LCO Recommendations on Division of Pensions on Marriage Breakdown Help Shape Proposed New Ontario Legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, January 30, 2009 –The Law Commission of Ontario today released its Final Report on the division of pensions on marriage breakdown. The report sets out the LCO’s recommendations for reform, which were released in October, and adds background on pension and family law and a detailed analysis of the issues.

“Pension reform in family law was one of the first areas we identified in need of reform,” said Dr. Patricia Hughes, Executive Director of the LCO. “Everyone trying to deal with pension division complained that it was confusing, complicated and added stress to an already very stressful situation.”

Dr. Hughes noted that Bill 133, which received first reading in November, would make a number of amendments to the Family Law Act and the Pension Benefits Act based on the LCO’s recommendations.

Ontario Attorney General Christopher Bentley said “I’d like to make special mention of the great work done by the Law Commission of Ontario in proposing much of what will be found in the reforms” in remarks made shortly after introducing the bill.

“We were very pleased to have been a part of the reform process in this area and to have our work credited as a major contribution to this legislation”, said Hughes.

Launched on September 7, 2007, the LCO has a mandate to recommend law reform measures to increase the legal system’s relevance, effectiveness and accessibility; to clarify and simplify the law; consider technology as a means to enhance access to justice; stimulate critical debate about law and promote scholarly legal research.

The report is available in English and French on the LCO’s website: http://www.lco-cdo.org.

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For further information, please contact:

John D. T. Hill,
Law Commission of Ontario
416-650-8401
lawcommission@lco-cdo.org