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Pocket Card Ontario
You qualify, but no lawyer will take it.
Do this first
Write down every lawyer you called, the date, and what they said. Keep adding. The list is evidence.
The remedy has a name
A Rowbotham application: if you cannot get a lawyer through legal aid and cannot have a fair trial without one, a judge can order the state to fund your counsel.
Bring it in the court where you are charged, with a sworn statement of your efforts and your means.
Also do
Call Legal Aid Ontario: say you have a certificate and cannot find counsel.
Ask for duty counsel at the courthouse, free, for advice and appearances.
Try the Law Society Referral Service for a free short consult.
SAY, on the record
I qualify for legal aid and cannot find a lawyer who will take my certificate.
Ask the court for time to find counsel. Put the failure on the record.
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General information, not legal advice. Ontario, 2026.