Victims of crime – More legal information
Resources
CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario) has a booklet on The Victim Quick Response Program+, the Ontario program that helps pay for certain expenses that victims and witnesses have because of a violence crime (available to read online or to download).
CLEO’s Your Legal Rights website (on CLEO Connect) has information on rights of victims, partner abuse and family law.
Ontario Women’s Justice Network (OWJN) has legal information about violence against women in the criminal law system, immigration issues, etc.
Tech Safety Canada has a Legal Remedies for TFGBV toolkit as well as several other tech safety toolkits. See their website. (TFGBV is tech-facilitated gender-based violence.)
Victims’ services
To find out more about your rights as a victim and the services available to you, or to complain about federal services or laws, contact the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime.
The Ontario Office for Victims of Crime has information and links for victims of violent crime. See also Victim Services in Ontario.
The Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General has a Victim Notification System that you can sign up for to receive telephone notifications when there are changes in the status of provincially incarcerated adult inmates and offenders who are under community supervision (probation, parole, conditional sentence). Register to receive notifications by calling the Victim Support Line (VSL) at 1-888-579-2888 (toll-free). There is also a call blocking service you can sign up for which prevents inmates from contacting victims, witnesses, or other concerned citizens by telephone, while incarcerated in Ontario correctional facilities. See their website for more information.
See our Other Help page for more help available to victims of crime.
Update from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board November 19, 2019
Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB) has posted important information regarding the transition process as of November 19, 2019. People with current CICB applications must meet the timelines set by the Board throughout the processing of their claim. The Board may dismiss an application as abandoned without a hearing if the timelines are not met, information requested is not provided, or you do not attend your telephone or in-person hearing. Timelines are being strictly enforced.
For more information: https://tribunalsontario.ca/cicb/. If you have questions or problems with an ongoing CICB application please contact us.
Changes to Criminal Injuries Compensation effective October 1, 2019
In April, the Government of Ontario announced plans to transition the responsibilities covered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB) into a new one-window access system for victims seeking financial assistance.
The CICB stopped accepting applications as of 11:59 pm on September 30, 2019. Starting October 1, 2019, individuals seeking compensation for costs that result from being a victim of crime should contact the Victim Quick Response Program+ (VQRP+). In Hastings, Prince Edward or Lennox & Addington Counties, or Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, contact Victim Services at https://www.victimserviceshpela.com/ (or call 1-866-680-9972) or Indigenous Victim Services at http://mbq-tmt.org/social-services/indigenous-victim-services/ (or call 613-438-3517). After hours call 1-343-363-0318.
As of October 1, 2019, applications for compensation, requests for review hearings, applications to vary an order for compensation and appeals can no longer be filed with the CICB. The CICB will process all applications for compensation, requests for review hearings, applications to vary an order for compensation and appeals received on or before September 30, 2019 according to its regular processes.
The Compensation for Victims of Crime Act (CVCA) will be amended effective October 1, 2019, to include the following section:
4.1 (1) Despite anything to the contrary in this Act, on and after the day section 1 of Schedule 11 to the Protecting What Matters Most Act (Budget Measures), 2019 comes into force, no person may,
- make an application for compensation under section 5;
- request a hearing and review under section 10;
- commence an appeal under section 23; or
- make an application for variation under section 25.
For more information, you can read about the changes or visit the Ministry of the Attorney General’s Victims Services website.
Read our interview in the Belleville Intelligencer on September 12, 2019.