Canadian Environmental Law Association
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) is a non-profit, public interest organization established in 1970 to use existing laws to protect the environment and to advocate environmental law reforms. It is also a free legal advisory clinic for the public, and will act at hearings and in courts on behalf of citizens or citizens’ groups who are otherwise unable to afford legal assistance. Funded by Legal Aid
Ontario
, CELA is one of 79 community legal clinics located across Ontario, 15 of which offer services in specialized areas of the law. CELA also undertakes additional educational and law reform projects funded by government
and private foundations. CELA was established at the same time as its sister organization the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy, which does not offer Legal Aid services but focuses on policy related to emerging and neglected environmental issues.
Legal aid
Legal aid is the provision of assistance to people otherwise unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system. Legal aid is regarded as central in providing access to justice by ensuring equality before the law, the right to counsel and the right to a fair trial.A number of...
Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, CELA is one of 79 community legal clinics located across Ontario, 15 of which offer services in specialized areas of the law. CELA also undertakes additional educational and law reform projects funded by government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and private foundations. CELA was established at the same time as its sister organization the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy, which does not offer Legal Aid services but focuses on policy related to emerging and neglected environmental issues.
See also
- Center for International Environmental LawCenter for International Environmental LawThe Center for International Environmental Law is a public interest, not-for-profit environmental law firm founded in 1989 in the USA to strengthen international and comparative environmental law and policy around the world....
(CIEL) - Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy
- West Coast Environmental LawWest Coast Environmental LawWest Coast Environmental Law is an environmental law and public advocacy organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It believes in a just and sustainable society where citizens are empowered to protect the environment and environmental protection is enshrined in law. It fulfills...
- Environmental Dispute Resolution FundEnvironmental Dispute Resolution FundThe Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund is a legal aid program based in British Columbia, Canada that provides grants to individuals, community groups and environmental organizations who need to hire legal representation to assist them in resolving an environmental problem or dispute...