Nunavut legal aid offices close doors to the public, still operating by phone

Nunavut’s legal aid offices, including its regional clinics and community offices, are closed to the public until further notice to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Although offices are closed, all staff are still working and can be reached by phone.

Maliganik Tukisiniarvik in Iqaluit, Kivalliq Legal Services in Rankin Inlet, the Kitikmeot Law Centre in Cambridge Bay and the Legal Services Board of Nunavut’s head office in Gjoa Haven are all closed to the public as of Monday, March 16.

To speak to a lawyer about a criminal case or an upcoming court appearance, people can call the following numbers:

• Qikiqtaaluk: 1-867-222-5602
• Kivalliq: 1-867-222-5600
• Kitikmeot: 1-867-222-5601

To speak to a lawyer about a family matter or to Child and Family Services, call 1-866-606-9400.

To speak to a lawyer about a civil matter, call 1-866-677-2726.

Benson Cowan, chief executive officer of Nunavut Legal Aid, told Nunatsiaq News the decision to close legal aid offices was made after a meeting held over the weekend.

“Anyone calling any one of those numbers for any matter will end up speaking to a lawyer and they can get connected to someone to talk to,” Cowan said.

Nunavut Legal Aid opens approximately 3,000 files a year and carries around 4,500 active files at a time. The offices see regular foot traffic, including clients, witnesses, family members, and other members of the community.

Cowan said lawyers will be assigned to manage the phones over the next couple of days and will triage cases when they come in.

“For non-urgent family and civil matters, we will most likely be asking people to reapply or to call back at some point in the future—just until we get a sense of what the next few months look like,” he said.

“Our position is that the offices are closed to the public except for cases where it’s an emergency, there’s something urgent on a matter.”

Cowan said most staff have also been asked to work from home.

“Our general practice is to allow people to sort of walk in…. Just out of an abundance of caution to try and not contribute to the spread, we’re stopping that,” Cowan said. “Although the offices are closed to the public, we’re not. We’re still taking cases and talking to people.”

To notify the public of the closures, Cowan said notices have been posted on each office’s entrance. Notices have also been posted on Nunavut Legal Aid’s social media accounts, he said.

A notice posted outside Maliganik Tukisiniarvik in Iqaluit lets people know the office is closed and provides phone numbers for clients. (Photo by Meagan Deuling)

Cowan said because the decision was made to close the offices to the public only recently, legal aid’s offices are still adjusting to working over the phone.

“We would ask that people be patient with us—if they call and get a message and not a real person, to try calling again. We will get back to everyone,” Cowan said.

Cowan said he felt it was important to close the offices to the public for the safety of the vulnerable people legal aid serves.

“We should do what we can to reduce the risk. Because we deal with people of limited financial means, so many of the people we work with in communities have compromised housing situations and often have underlying health issues. And we want to be really careful not to be the platform by which this spreads,” Cowan said.

He also said legal aid has also been working closely with the Crown’s office in Iqaluit and the Nunavut Court of Justice to try to create a process to have matters adjourned without people having to attend court.

“It’s an evolving situation and things will change. We will do our best to adapt and to ensure that people with pressing legal matters, especially those that tie to people’s safety and security in relation to the COVID-19 spread, we’ll ensure that those people have access to a lawyer,” he said.

“We’re very concerned in particular about people who may be arrested during this time and put into custody. We’re also concerned about people whose housing is precarious at a time when stable housing is really important. We’re concerned about people whose employment may suffer as a result of the economic effects that are certain to hit … as they have in other parts of the country.”

All sittings at satellite courthouse in Pond Inlet suspended

As well, the Nunavut Court of Justice announced on Monday, March 16, that all scheduled sittings and court registry operations at the satellite courthouse in Pond Inlet have been suspended until May 31.

Because of this, all matters that were scheduled to proceed to hearing during the period the satellite courthouse is closed are adjourned until July 27 at 9:30 a.m.

Additionally, all filing deadlines that fall before May 31 have been extended to the end of the day on July 27.

“Any remand warrant, warrant of committal, removal order, subpoena, summons or other court process that is returnable during this period of emergency closure shall continue in full force and effect until the close of business on July 27,” states a notice from the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Everyone affected by the closure of Pond Inlet’s satellite courthouse is required to attend court on July 27 at 9:30 a.m.

This follows an announcement from the Nunavut Court of Justice on Monday, March 16, that all upcoming jury trials throughout the territory, and all upcoming circuit court dates outside of Iqaluit, are suspended until May 31.

Then on Tuesday, March 17, the Nunavut chief justice, Neil Sharkey, announced that the Nunavut Court of Justice will now suspend regular operations everywhere in the territory until at least May 31. Urgent matters will continue to be dealt with, but primarily through teleconferencing or electronic filing of documents.