As part of LAO’s continuing response to COVID-19, lawyers will be able to apply for legal aid coverage on behalf of in‑custody clients requesting temporary absence permits.
A new application form will be available on our website by Friday, April 3, 2020.
This follows the Ontario government’s announcement that it would expand the use of temporary absence permits by allowing authorized inmates to be absent from an institution unescorted for a period of 72 hours or longer.
Lawyers may immediately start work related to obtaining TAPs on your clients’ behalf, but you must submit an application, once available, to receive coverage.
How it will work
After downloading and filling in the application form, email it to the address provided.
We will process it without legal and financial testing, or merit consideration.
Each application requires that the lawyer attest to the following conditions to obtain coverage:
- The inmate is not serving a sentence for a violent offence and is not classified as a maximum security offender
- The inmate will not, by reoffending, present an undue risk to society during the absence
We will issue a legal aid certificate in advance. Signed consent and declaration forms may be submitted after May 29, 2020, where required.
See https://www.legalaid.on.ca/in-briefs/legal-aid-ontario-to-provide-coverage-for-temporary-absence-permit-tap-requests/