The Law Foundation of Ontario has invested more than $300K towards four projects that aim to increase the knowledge and protection of investors, in particular vulnerable investors. The grants were made from the society's 2019 Investor Rights Call for Applications, funded through their national Access to Justice Fund (ATJF).
Investing is not just for the wealthy. Many ordinary Canadians invest in the market to provide needed income for their retirement or their child’s education. Or, they may rely on that income because of unforeseen circumstances such as a chronic illness or disability that make them unable to work.
The investing landscape is often complex and there is often a gap in knowledge, protection, and access to services for investors in Canada. Without these, the rights of investors, especially the most vulnerable, may be compromised. This is what makes investor rights an access to justice issue.
The funded 2019 Investor Rights projects are:
- Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia: Investor Legal Information Planning Kit and App
- Osgoode Hall Law School: RRSPs and Debt: An Investigation into the Investor Rights of Older Canadians
- Investor Protection Clinic, Osgoode Hall Law School: Investor Education Video Series
- University of Toronto, Faculty of Law: Public Legal Education for Vulnerable Investors
The University of Toronto, Faculty of Law will develop and disseminate plain language public legal education materials about investor rights and protections in Ontario in a variety of targeted formats, providing information to vulnerable investors, including the elderly and newcomers, in order to prevent fraudulent and misleading investing.