TORONTO - The Ontario government and the Criminal Lawyers' Association say they have reached an agreement to end a boycott over legal aid payments.
More than 1,000 defence lawyers have been taking part in the boycott that began in June.
The lawyers started to refuse to defend all homicide cases as well as gangs and guns indictments to protest what they were paid under the legal aid system.
The lawyers had threatened to expand their boycott to other cases unless they reached an agreement with the province by today.
A government news release says there will be an increase in the hourly fees by an average of five per cent per year for the next seven years.
It also says it will be providing additional funding for enhanced family law and poverty law services and instituting block fees for standard criminal cases.
About 100 people had been unable to get a lawyer under legal aid because of the boycott.
