Legal Support Ottawa (LSO) originated as a collective of activists and lawyers who came together to provide legal training and support for the G20/World Bank/IMF demonstrations that took place in Ottawa in November of 2001.

We have held regular meetings since then to deal with the aftermath of the N17 protests. We have been helping people with the police complaints process, trials and retrieving property taken illegally by police.

We have also provided legal training and support for the G8 "Take the Capital" protests of June 2002 and the "Seven Year Squat" at 246 Gilmour in June-July 2002, as well as numerous other, and continue to work to provide support for those charged and/or abused in those actions.

Legal Support Ottawa (LSO) takes the following as its' mandate :

to provide legal support for activists within the Ottawa / Gatineau region.

1) We will work to help activists who wish to know their rights under the law and to challenge unjust laws and the unfair application of the law; and

2) We will work to ensure that all those facing criminal proceedings arising from their participation in any type of demonstration have access to the legal support of their choice in order to address any charges against them, on their terms; and

3) We will work to assist all those who wish to hold the police accountable for their actions in preparing for and policing any type of demonstration.

In order to achieve these goals, Legal Support Ottawa will undertake the following:

1) Provide orientation, education, and training workshops and materials for activists regarding laws that may be applied to them, their rights under the law, and how those laws may be applied;

2) Provide support during demonstrations documenting police behaviour through written accounts and audio/photo/film recording.

3) Provide support and assistance in challenging through protest and civil disobedience unjust laws and/or the unjust application of the law;

4) Assist all protesters detained, arrested and accused to ensure they have access to the legal support of their choice, collectively or individually, during detention and prosecution;

5) Work with protesters to initiate, and build collective participation in, criminal and civil legal action against police and in the police complaints process where protesters have been abused and their rights violated; and

6) Work with protesters to initiate formal inquiries and to follow all available political processes for holding the police -- and the relevant civilian political authorities -- accountable for police actions, and for investigating and reforming the policies and procedures that make inappropriate police actions possible.

LSO operates as a volunteer committee and makes decisions by consensus at its regular meetings.