The History of TDP

The Ticket Defence Program (TDP) has been providing legal services to persons who are street-involved or otherwise marginalized since 2003.

The TDP was created in reaction to a gap in access to justice for these populations. Initially, the TDP was comprised of individuals who lacked formal legal training but had considerable knowledge of how the legal system operated and experience appearing in provincial court. The TDP also worked with community liaisons who in turn worked directly with street-involved persons and served as an important connection between TDP and its clients.

Due to changes in the Law Society of Ontario regulatory regime in 2008, the TDP was forced to discontinue its work.

The TDP was relaunched in 2014 by Dr. Suzanne Bouclin as a community-campus partnership with the University of Ottawa. The TDP Board of Directors is now comprised of Ottawa lawyers and our volunteers include law students from the University of Ottawa working under the direction of criminal lawyers. We continue to work closely with community liaisons who have knowledge of and sensitivity to street-involvement and its diverse effects.