Questions.

1. A defendant who lives in a remote area of the province.
2. A defendant who is unable to afford to hire a lawyer to defend himself.
3. A defendant who is unable to understand the charges against her due to a language barrier.
4. A case in which the victim or the accused is very young.
5. A couple that wishes to separate but does not want to go to court.
6. A case in which the defendant may suffer from a mental illness.

Choices.

1. The Ministry of the Attorney General will appoint a translator regardless of the language spoken because the right to understand the proceedings is protected in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
2. Ontario has a legal aid program which helps to pay for the legal services of low income people.
3. Ontario maintains an Office of the Children’s Lawyer and Victim Services programs to assist children in legal matters and children who have been victimized. We also have a Youth Criminal Justice Act.
4. There are programs in place in hospitals to intervene in a mental health crisis and there are Review Boards to help oversee each individual case.
5. The Ontario Court of Justice has fly-in courts for remote areas in the far north.
6. The system allows for alternate dispute resolution proceedings such as arbitration or mediation to work out solutions to disputes without going to court.

Answers.

1. e
2. b
3. a
4. c
5. f
6. d