Paralegal regulation needs government funding: OBA

The Ontario Bar Association (OBA) says while it supports the Law Society of Upper Canada’s (LSUC) regulation of paralegals, assurances are needed that government funding will be in place to support the regulatory system.”Critical to the success of this regulatory initiative is secure, adequate Ontario government funding and this must include money for appropriate enforcement measures,” says OBA president Jonathan Speigel. “OBA commends Attorney General Michael Bryant for his support for paralegal regulation and trusts that his government will make the necessary funding available to ensure a successful regulatory framework”.The LSUC has released a consultation paper on a regulatory framework, which the OBA says it will review at its mid-June board meeting. Thus far, though, the OBA task force on paralegals supports the LSUC’s proposed standards on licensing, accreditation ad governance, as well as the need to define clearly those functions paralegals can carry out.We are particularly pleased to learn that paralegals will be required to have errors and omissions insurance and will contribute to a compensation fund similar to that for lawyers,” says Steven Rosenhek, chair of the OBA task force.