Iqaluit (Oct 06/04) - An answer to the complicated and often frustrating world of legalese is on its way for Nunavummiut.

Federal funding has paved the way for a new Poverty/Civil Law Office to be based in Iqaluit, along with a toll-free number to allow all regions to access it.

The services will become available Oct. 15. They will be the first of their kind in the territory, says Patrick Smith, executive director of the Legal Services Board of Nunavut.

The board is in charge of the pilot project, which will run for a year or so and then face a review.

"People cannot access the legal system except through family or criminal matters," says Smith from his office in Gjoa Haven.

The new office will offer help with issues ranging from complicated bank notices and home evictions to wrongful dismissals facing people in all communities.

Much of the advice will be administered via telephone, with callers describing their legal problem to a lawyer.

The move is an important one for Nunavut residents to learn about their rights within the territory, says Smith.

"An important part of any territorial jurisdiction is the access to law and fairness. Right now, we don't have that for a lot of Nunavummiut," he says.

Smith spent three years in Rankin Inlet as a family lawyer with legal services. He says lawyers currently working in the territory often have requests for these types of services.