covid-19 & your legal rights​

The COVID-19 virus continues to have a changing impact on our lives. From housing and social assistance to immigration and employment, it is important to stay up to date on changing policies as well as your legal rights. 

We will continue to update this page regularly to keep you informed!      

Specific areas of law

For information about specific areas of law, please select a link below

WEBINARS

 Immigration and Employment and Covid19: What you Need to Know
Date: Tuesday, 28 April 2020 from 15:30-17:00
  • Link to recording found here.
  • Slidedeck found here.
The COVID crisis has had serious consequences for migrants and for workers. Unemployment is at a record high, and federal unemployment benefits seem to be changing daily. People who are in the immigration and refugee system have experienced delays in the application process, cancellation of hearings, uncertainty in filing new applications and border closures. Many of the affected individuals have questions as to how the government's response to COVID will impact their employment entitlements and immigration applications. In this webinar we will discuss the steps that the government has taken to address immigration and unemployment, what the real-world consequences are, and how best to proceed in these uncertain times.

Join NLS Staff Lawyer Asiya Hirji and Don Valley Community Legal Services Staff Lawyer Andrew Langille for an interactive webinar. The session will be targeted towards community members, and front-line service providers working within the community.
Social Assistance and Covid19: What you Need to Know
Date: Wednesday, 29 April 2020 from 11:00-12:00
  • Link to recording found here. 
  • Slidedeck found here.
The Covid-19 crisis has disproportionately affected low income communities and individuals who receive social assistance. Many people are asking about what financial help they can receive from the government and how their social assistance payments will be affected. This session will provide you with information on the new benefits available during the Covid-19 crisis and who qualifies for them, as well as information for current recipients of Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program and give you the latest and most accurate information.

Join NLS Staff Lawyer Seema Kawar and Community Legal Worker Daniel Bastien for an interactive webinar and get answers to your questions about the impact of Covid-19 on social assistance recipients. The session will be targeted towards community members, and front-line service providers working within the community.

​Have you BEEN APPROACHED BY POLICE UNDER THE NEW EMERGENCY MEASURES?

Click here for a Know Your Rights pamphlet you can print and share. If you have received a warning or a ticket under the Emergency Measures in place due to COVID19, we'd like to know! Please submit information about the police or by-law officer encounter into the form below so we can get in touch. 

frequently asked questions

Steps to Justice has developed a resource to answer frequently asked questions about legal rights as they relate to COVID-19 measures. CLICK HERE to access it.

  • Misinformation is contagious! Follow guidelines set out by reputable sources for the most up to date and reliable information about COVID-19. We recommend:
    • Our City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam is maintaining daily updates on her site with the latest information from the City of Toronto.
    • Our Member of Provincial Parliament Suze Morrison’s website contains practical tips on staying safe during this time, and looking out for vulnerable friends and neighbours.
    • Our Federal Member of Parliament Bill Morneau’s site maintains online updates from the Federal government, including interactive Q/A.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT COURTS AND TRIBUNALS
  • The Ontario Social Justice Tribunals (including the Landlord and Tenant Board and the Social Justice Tribunal) are postponing in-person hearings but will proceed with written, telephone or video hearings wherever possible.
  • The Ontario Superior Court of Justice (ie. 393 University) has suspended regular operations. It is hearing emergency matters in family, civil and criminal cases only, but this information changes day by day. Check their website for more specific guidance. Presently it advises that accused persons with matters scheduled in the Superior Court of Justice in the month of March, 2020 are adjourned until June 2, 2020. Those accused must appear in court on June 2, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at the court location at which they were to appear in March, 2020.
  • The Ontario Court of Justice (ie. 311 Jarvis or 47 Sheppard) has issued a statement saying that as of Monday March 16, if you have a Provincial Offences Act, family or criminal court appearance in the Ontario Court of Justice you do not need to attend court at this time, unless the matter is an in-custody or urgent criminal matter or an urgent family matter.

ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE


If you have COVID-19 symptoms and want to get assessed,  click HERE for our local assessment centres.
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THE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT HAS WAIVED THE 3-MONTH OHIP WAIT PERIOD, AND ENSURES THAT UNINSURED PEOPLE CAN BE TESTED AND TREATED WITHOUT CHARGE. 
"Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice"
- Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)
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Neighbourhood Legal Services, 101 - 163 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 1S1 
Tel: 416.861.0677 | Fax: 416.861.1777
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