Canadian Environmental Law Association

Description

The Canadian Environmental Law Association, known as CELA, is a legal aid clinic dedicated to environmental equity, justice and health in Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1970 and is one of the oldest environmental protection advocates in the country. Legal Aid Ontario funds its work. It is one of Ontario’s network of community legal clinics, specializing in environmental law.

CELA provides free legal services in environmental justice cases, representing low-income and disadvantaged communities before courts and tribunals. It also undertakes environmental law reform and public legal education projects. Past work has included representing citizens during the Walkerton Inquiry into tainted drinking water.

The organization aims to hold governments and polluters accountable for harm to the environment and public health, and to safeguard citizens’ environmental rights. It is part of a co-operative of specialty community legal clinics in Ontario, sharing resources and training with similar organizations. CELA also helped build collaborations such as the Low Income Energy Network and RentSafe.