Legal Aid Boycott to Expand?

Low-income Ontarians charged with serious crimes could find themselves in an even tighter legal spot in two weeks.

Members of the Criminal Lawyers' Association have reportedly voted unanimously to expand their boycott.

A memo says a deal must be reached by January 24, otherwise the expansion of the boycott will go ahead.

Frank Addario, past president of the association who is involved in the negotiations with the Ministry of the Attorney General, won't confirm the deadline cited in the memo.

But he says lawyers, who are already boycotting homicide and gun and gang cases under legal aid, have been ready to widen the boycott since the fall.

The lawyers want the government to pay them more money for work done for legal aid cases and/or agree to a binding review mechanism for compensation.