Legal Aid Offices to close

Getting Legal Aid in the province has been made a little more difficult after most of the legal aid offices will be closed as of April 1st of next year.

58 people will lose their jobs across the province - including 5 here in Kelowna, as the offices will be closed in order to put resources into different areas.

Legal Services Society Executive Director Mark Benton says service levels won't change with these cuts.

"It's important to recognize, and I want to reassure the public that Legal Aid services will be avaialable throughout the Okanagan and the province.  This is really a change in the way we deliver Legal Aid, not a change in what Legal Aid will be available."

Benton says the cuts are NOT a result of budget cutbacks by the Campbell government.

however the union representing the workers says L.S.S was targeted by the BC government.

David Woodard - Kelowna