OFFICE OF THE CHILDREN’S LAWYER

The children’s lawyer The OCL may assist the parties and the court in a litigated case.

The OCL may become involved in one of two ways:

• A court may order the appointment of the OCL under s. 89(3.1) of the Courts of Justice Act (CJA). If appointed, the OCL has the role of representing the child’s views and providing the court with some context for those views.
• Under s. 112 of the CJA, a court may also order that the OCL perform an investigation, report, and make recommendations to the court on the child’s needs. The OCL have in-house social workers to perform the investigation. The OCL retains the authority to decide whether to accept the appointment.

The appointment of the OCL is not automatic even if court ordered.

The OCL decides whether to become involved in a particular case after each parent has completed an intake questionnaire.