The Victim Services Branch, Department of Justice provides services for victims of crime. The branch maintains a staff of approximately 18 people and is committed to delivering culturally appropriate and trauma-informed services.
The Independent Legal Advice (ILA) Project provides victims of intimate partner violence and/or sexualized violence with free legal advice and information.
The ILA project is managed by the Victim Services Branch and is for survivors of sexualized violence or intimate partner violence who want to explore their legal options. There is no requirement that an incident be reported to the police. Survivors can access the program at any time whether the incident took place recently, a few weeks or months ago, or if the case is historical The Independent Legal Advice Project is funded through an agreement with the Government of Canada. The project began providing service on May 7, 2020 and is scheduled to end on March 31, 2021. The project will be evaluated to determine if it met the objectives. Victim Services has submitted a proposal to the federal government for an additional five years of funding (2021- 2026).