Iqaluit (Oct 18/04) - Nunavummiut who qualify for legal aid now have access to a service designed to help them with legal questions dealing with anything from employment to tenancy in either English or Inuktitut.

Currently called the poverty/civil law office, plans are in place to develop an appropriate name in Inuktitut.

The office opened Oct. 15. It's located in executive director Brad McIsaac's Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik legal aid office in Iqaluit.

There is no full-time Inuktitut translator hired, but there are plans to add one in the future.

Until that time, McIsaac said he will rely on assistance from Inuktitut-speaking employees at legal aid to translate. Advice will be given on anything from pension questions, to rental and employment issues, along with many others.

"When people are dealing with areas of government, and the door is slammed in their face, they had no other recourse, but now they have an advocate," said McIsaac.

Legal aid began as a criminal law service, but expanded to include family law a few years ago.

Family lawyers are now extremely busy, and McIsaac expects this service will also prove to be much-needed.

After calling the Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik number collect, clients will be directed to fill out an eligibility form. The costs and benefits of a toll-free number are being worked out.

People living outside Iqaluit will be faxed the form, but electronic approval may be soon be possible and eligibility should be determined within days, McIsaac said.

Income is an important factor in deciding who is approved for the service, although there is no fixed cutoff.

Someone with a high income and an equally high level of debt may be approved, said legal aid chief information officer Merv Tulloch.

Anyone facing an immediate crisis such as eviction will be given immediate assistance prior to determining their eligibility, McIsaac said.

Those who do not qualify for free assistance can work out a payment plan in which a portion of the cost is covered by the government.

Although federally-funded, McIsaac said the program would not be in operation if Premier Paul Okalik had not shown support for the idea.

2006 review

A review held sometime in 2006 is expected to help determine how well the service is being used.

Territorial legislation will not allow legal aid to provide information on a small number of topics, such as estate planning and will preparation.

McIsaac said there are plans to request the legislative assembly to amend the legal services act sometime in the future.