Justice for Children and Youth Justice for Children and Youth

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Legal Rights Wiki

Welcome to JFCY’s Legal Wiki which provides information about the legal rights of children and youth in Ontario. Click here to download this information from our Publications page. Please contact us if you have any questions or trouble finding the information that you seek. You should speak to a lawyer for legal advice since laws often change.

Justice for Children and Youth is a non-profit legal clinic. JFCY lawyers provide free legal services for young people under 18 and homeless youth under 25 in Ontario. Free and Confidential Legal Support. To speak a lawyer, call us at 416-920-1633 or toll-free in Ontario at 1-866-999-5329.

  • Youth Criminal Justice

    The Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) provides unique rights and procedures for young people between the ages of 12 - 17 who are charged with a criminal offence in Canada.

    • Application of the YCJA
    • The Police
    • Bail
    • Right to a Lawyer
    • Detention
    • EJM & EJS
    • Court Process
    • Sentencing Process
    • Sentences
    • Youth Records
    • Appeals
    Open
    • Application of the YCJA

      Open
    • The Police

      Open
    • Bail

      Open
    • Right to a Lawyer

      Open
    • Detention

      Open
    • EJM & EJS

      Open
    • Court Process

      Open
    • Sentencing Process

      Open
    • Sentences

      Open
    • Youth Records

      Open
    • Appeals

      Open
  • Education

    Going to school is a legal requirement for young people between the ages of 6 and 17. The Education Act gives parents and children specific rights in the publicly funded school system.

    • Attendance Rights
    • Special Education
    • Suspensions
    • Expulsions
    • Exclusions
    Open
    • Attendance Rights

      Open

    • Special Education

      Open
    • Suspensions

      Open
    • Expulsions

      Open
    • Exclusions

      Open
  • Leaving Home

    In Ontario, you can choose where you live when you are 16 years old. The decision to leave is often not easy and can lead to difficulties in getting all your belongings, having enough money to support yourself and attending school.

    • Rights
    • Child Support & Social Assistance
    • Shelters
    • Tenants
    Open
    • Rights

      Open
    • Child Support & Social Assistance

      Open
    • Shelters

      Open
    • Tenants

      Open
  • Health & Mental Health

    Become informed about your legal rights when it comes to decisions about your healthcare and mental healthcare treatment. This includes any procedure carried out or prescribed by a health practitioner to diagnose or treat a physical or mental health condition.

    • OHIP and IFHP
    • Consent & Privacy
    • Decisions & Capacity
    • Psychiatric Facilities
    • Secure Treatment
    Open
    • OHIP and IFHP

      Open

    • Consent & Privacy

      Open

    • Decisions & Capacity

      Open

    • Psychiatric Facilities

      Open

    • Secure Treatment

      Open

  • Discrimination and LGBTQI2S Rights

    The Ontario Human Rights Code protects you from discrimination on many grounds and in many social areas. Specific legal concerns raised by youth identifying in LGBTQI2S communities are about GSAs, Trans and Gender Inclusive Spaces and changing their ID.

    • Human Rights Protection
    • Making a Claim
    • LGBTQI2S Legal Rights
    • GSAs & LGBTQ-Specific School Groups
    • Trans-Inclusion & Gender Segregated Spaces
    • Government-Issued Identification
    Open
    • Human Rights Protection

      Open
    • Making a Claim

      Open
    • LGBTQI2S Legal Rights

      Open
    • GSAs & LGBTQ-Specific School Groups

      Open
    • Trans-Inclusion & Gender Segregated Spaces

      Open
    • Government-Issued Identification

      Open
  • Provincial Offences

    You can be given a ticket for breaking a provincial law if you are over the age of 16. Some of the common laws that young people are given tickets for is covered in this section.

    • Tickets
    • Trespassing
    • Panhandling
    • Parks
    • Alcohol
    Open
    • Tickets

      Open
    • Trespassing

      Open
    • Panhandling

      Open
    • Parks

      Open
    • Alcohol

      Open

  • Hot Topics

    These are some of the common issues that JFCY lawyers are asked about.

    • Age Based Laws
    • Victims of Crime
    • Cannabis
    • Police Stops & Searches
    • Police Complaints
    • Security Guards
    • Shoplifting Demand Letters
    • Sexual Activity
    • Streets & Sidewalks
    Open
    • Age Based Laws

      Open
    • Victims of Crime

      Open
    • Cannabis

      Open
    • Police Stops & Searches

      Open
    • Police Complaints

      Open
    • Security Guards

      Open
    • Shoplifting Demand Letters

      Open
    • Sexual Activity

      Open
    • Streets & Sidewalks

      Open
  • Family: Discipline, Children's Aid Societies, Parenting and Contact Orders

    In family law, the rights of children are unique. Become informed about going into and being in the care of a Children's Aid Society, when parents can assault you (corporal punishment / spanking exemption to assault), and your right to be heard when your parents are splitting up.

    • Privacy
    • Corporal Punishment & "Spanking"
    • Going into Children's Aid Society Care
    • Being in Children's Aid Society Care
    • Parenting and Contact Orders
    Open
    • Privacy

      Open
    • Corporal Punishment & "Spanking"

      Open

    • Going into Children's Aid Society Care

      Open

    • Being in Children's Aid Society Care

      Open

    • Parenting and Contact Orders

      Open

  • Immigration & Refugee

    JFCY's Childhood Arrivals and Support & Advocacy Program (CASA) provides services to young people who arrived in Canada as children and are living in Ontario without immigration status.

    • Status
    • Sponsorships
    Open
    • Status

      Open
    • Sponsorships

      Open
  • Homeless Youth Over 18

    Street Youth Legal Services (SYLS) is a program that provides information and services for homeless youth between the ages of 16 - 25.  These are some of the common issues that the SYLS lawyer is asked about.

    • Warrants
    • Criminal Court
    • Adult Records
    • Record Suspensions
    • Victims of Crime
    • Evidence
    • Small Claims Court
    • Social Assistance
    • Mental Health
    • Legal Help
    Open
    • Warrants

      Open
    • Criminal Court

      Open
    • Adult Records

      Open
    • Record Suspensions

      Open
    • Victims of Crime

      Open

    • Evidence

      Open
    • Small Claims Court

      Open

    • Social Assistance

      Open
    • Mental Health

      Open

    • Legal Help

      Open
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  • About JFCY
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