Income Security Advocacy Centre

ISAC works to address issues of income security and poverty in Ontario

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Litigation

Test-case and appellate litigation are key tools that we use to advance our strategic plan. We work closely with caseworkers in community legal clinics across the province to identify issues and potential legal cases, and apply an equity framework and a human rights lens to guide our decision-making around which cases to take on and which legal arguments to make. Our litigation efforts focus on resolving systemic problems in provincial and federal income security programs.

Click on the links below for information about the cases we are currently working on and have worked on in the past. Our Case Selection Criteria is available here. Our policy advocacy and community organizing pages have information on other areas of our work.

  • Trusts and Access to Social Assistance: Supreme Court Case April 25 April 23, 2018 - On April 25th, the Supreme Court of Canada will hear a case that asks whether money held in a trust affects eligibility for social programs, even if the recipient cannot access that money. In this case, a person referred to as “S.A.” was denied a rent subsidy in Vancouver social housing because of inheritance monies ...
  • Supreme Court to decide on striking down the Mandatory Victim Surcharge: Watch the Hearing Live April 13, 2018 - On April 17-18, the Supreme Court of Canada will hear four cases challenging the mandatory victim surcharge under the Charter. The cases will decide whether the mandatory victim surcharge violates the Charter rights of poor people who are convicted of crimes because it is “cruel and unusual” (s. 12 of the Charter) and/or violates the ...
  • Protect the Privacy of Individuals at Administrative Tribunals: Court Case April 4-6 April 4, 2018 - An important case concerning the privacy of individuals who seek to enforce their rights at administrative tribunals will be heard this week. This case could directly affect the privacy of individuals at the Human Rights Tribunal, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, and the Landlord and Tenant Board, among other administrative tribunals. It could also set ...
  • Government should be held accountable for discrimination: Court case Feb 28 February 27, 2018 - In a landmark case at the Human Rights Tribunal, Sheryl Abbey was successful in proving that the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) discriminated against her. But the Tribunal refused to award her compensation for the injury that she experienced as a result. She has asked the Divisional Court to review that decision. A coalition made ...
  • Challenging discriminatory legislation: Watch the Supreme Court hearing live November 22, 2017 - Where can you go when government benefit programs discriminate against you? The Supreme Court of Canada will be hearing an important case about that issue on November 28, 2017. The Government of Canada is responsible for a number of very important programs and social benefits that people rely on in order to get by, including ...
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