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Access to Funding for Legal Advice Form

  • 1 Request for funding for legal advice
  • 2 Tell us about yourself
  • 3 Exceptional circumstances
  • 4 Representation
  • 5 Union and professional association
  • 6 Review your request
  • 7 Complete

Request for funding for legal advice

Before you start a submission, watch the video below and read the following explanation to review the conditions and eligibility criteria set out under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act. It will only take a few minutes.

"You have the right to be assisted by a lawyer if you are participating in an investigation, or if you are considering reporting wrongdoing or making a reprisal complaint."

Read video transcription

Proceedings under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (the Act) are meant to be as informal as possible.

Even if not required, you have the right to be assisted or represented by a counsel if you are involved in an investigation or if you are considering making a disclosure of wrongdoing or reprisal complaint.

Our Office may provide up to $1,500 for legal advice if you do not already have access to legal advice at no cost to you. Under exceptional circumstances this amount can be up to $3,000.

Who is eligible?

  • Any public servant who is considering making a protected disclosure of wrongdoing;
  • Any person who is not a public servant who is considering providing information to the Commissioner in relation to any act or omission that may constitute a wrongdoing under the Act;
  • Any public servant who has made a protected disclosure of wrongdoing;
  • Any person who is or has been involved in any investigation conducted by a senior officer or by or on behalf of the Commissioner under the Act, including those who are the subject of an investigation;
  • Any public servant who is considering making a complaint under the Act regarding an alleged reprisal taken against him or her; or
  • Any person who is or has been involved in a proceeding under the Act regarding an alleged reprisal.

In any of the situations above, applicants must declare that they have not had any other access to legal advice at no cost to them.

Applicants who could have asked their union or association for access to legal advice must clearly explain why they have not done so.

For further information, read our Policy on the Granting of Funding for Access to Legal Advice Requests.

What is a protected disclosure?

A protected disclosure is a disclosure of wrongdoing that an employee working in the federal public sector or a member of the RCMP made in good faith to their supervisor, to their organization's designated Senior Officer, or directly to our Office.

A protected disclosure may also include wrongdoing allegations made:

  • in the course of a Parliamentary proceeding;
  • in the course of a procedure established under any other Act of Parliament; or
  • when lawfully required to do so.

Access to this funding

Access to this funding is discretionary. When applying, it is important that you provide the Commissioner with as much relevant information about your situation as possible.

In determining whether to grant funding for legal advice, the Commissioner will take into account:

  • the public interest;
  • the degree to which you may be affected by your involvement in a proceeding under the Act.

Learn more

Read video transcription

Learn more about the PSDPA

Any questions?

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