Category British Columbia

BC Launches Cross-Ministry Indigenous Justice Secretariat

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In keeping with a commitment outlined in the BC First Nations Justice Strategy, the Government of British Columbia has announced the launch of the Indigenous Justice Secretariat, which will work to address the overrepresentation of and disproportionate impacts on Indigenous Peoples in the justice system and Indigenous children and youth in care. According to a press release from the BC Attorney General’s Office, “the BC First Nations Justice Strategy is designed by and for Indigenous Peoples to reform the colonial justice system and revitalize Indigenous legal practices and was endorsed by the Province and the BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC) in 2020.”

The cross-ministry Indigenous Justice Secretariat will be housed within the BC Ministry of the Attorney General. It will be led by Métis-Cree lawyer and assistant deputy minister, Colleen Spier.

For more information about the access to justice goals of the newly launched Indigenous-led secretariat, or to view the BC Government’s press release, please visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023AG0025-000500.

Digital Credentials Project Launches Province-Wide in B.C.

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Following a pilot project phase that included more than 250 family lawyers in B.C., the province is expanding its Member Digital Credential project.

A news release by The Law Society of British Columbia describes digital credentials as an innovative solution that enables lawyers to securely identify themselves online, provides a more efficient and cost-effective way to interact with courts and government services, and allows access to online court materials.”

The now two-year old Member Digital Credential project will expand in stages, beginning with a phased rollout in family law and criminal law.

The Member Portal can be accessed online at: https://www.lawsociety.bc.ca/lsbc/apps/members/login.cfm. Questions about the Member Digital Credential can be sent to AskACM@gov.bc.ca.

Statistics Canada Launches Municipal and Local Data Portal

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Statistics Canada – in collaboration with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities – announced the launch of the Centre for Municipal and Local Data (CMLD) portal.

The CMLD aims to serve as a clearinghouse for consistent and comparable municipal data, while “empower[ing] municipalities through timely, trusted and reliable data.”

The portal includes:

  • a data integration and visualisation tool which displays a set of key indicators geographically;
  • a data catalogue of statistics and indicators relevant to municipalities, such as the integration of census data, as well as housing, health and crime statistics;
  • a municipal mapping function;
  • a municipal financial and socioeconomic dashboard which currently allows for comparisons across 35 Canadian cities on standard financial indicators, including those relating to infrastructure spending, as well as allowing integration of selected socioeconomic indicators

Statistics Canada and the FCM invite stakeholders and the public to check the portal regularly as new data and features will continue to be added.

The recently launched Centre for Municipal and Local Data can be accessed online at: https://www159.statcan.gc.ca/index-eng.htm.

Some details about the CMLD in this post were copied from a news release from Statistics Canada’s Stakeholder Relations and Engagement Division.

Canadian Government Seeking Input on Immigration System

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The Canadian government is seeking input on the future of Canada’s immigration system. Until April 2023, the government is engaging stakeholders across Canada to collect feedback on:

  • How Canada’s immigration system can better support Canada’s future economic and social goals;
  • What works about the current immigration system;
  • Changes that would make the current system more successful, and milestones for future successes; and,
  • How Canada can best meet the needs of newcomers

Members of the public can share their views via a 15-minute online survey, available in French and English: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/campaigns/canada-future-immigration-system.html.

The survey closes on April 27, 2023.

Access to Justice Week in BC is February 4 to 10, 2023

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This year, Access to Justice Week in British Columbia will take place from Saturday, February 4 to Friday, February 10. The theme of this year’s event is “Access to Justice – Whose Job is it Anyway?” Events scheduled for Access to Justice Week BC include:

  • Youth Leaders in Law: National Conference 2023 (Saturday, February 4)
    During this event, high school and undergraduate students interested in law school will hear from a panel of law school professors and legal counsel. Attendees will also have an opportunity to meet and speak with panelists and law students. This event will be available via Zoom.
  • Access to Justice Issues in BC’s Family Law System (Monday, February 6)
    This panel will highlight recent research on access to justice issues in BC’s family law system and explore the importance of people-centred design. 

There will be two events on Tuesday, February 7: Understanding and Creating Access to Justice (in-person session) and Access to Justice: Whose Job is it Anyway?

Other events include:

Wednesday, February 8
Event 1: Neurodiversity in Law
Event 2: Youth Leaders in law Virtual Speed Networking

Thursday, February 9
Event 1: Justice for Everyone: Developing New Lawyers in the Public Interest
Event 2: Friends of the Court and Access to Justice

Friday, February 10
Event 1: Innovating to Create Market-Based Solutions
Event 2: Drug Treatment Court – Specialized Approaches

For information on whether events can be attended remotely or in-person, and for the full description of Access to Justice Week BC events, including information on panelists, visit the Access to Justice Week BC website: https://accesstojusticebc.ca/a2jweekbc/.

B.C. Government Publishes Intentions Paper on Regulatory Modernization and Seeks Feedback on Proposed Reforms

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The British Columbia Ministry of Attorney General has published “Legal Professions Regulatory Modernization”, an intentions paper discussing B.C.’s legal services landscape, previous reform efforts in the province, and proposed reforms. Among the proposed reforms, the paper lists:

  • A single statute and a single regulator;
  • A clear mandate that communicates the regulator’s core responsibilities and powers;
  • A modernized governance framework;
  • A flexible licensing framework;
  • An efficient discipline framework to ensure that there are effective processes in place to maintain competence and professional conduct and practice among those subject to the regulation; and,
  • An enhanced focus on public interest.

For anyone interested in providing feedback to the proposals, the B.C. Ministry of the Attorney General invites written submissions via email at PLD@gov.bc.ca or feedback submitted via online survey at https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/consultation/legal-professions-reform/. Submissions will be accepted until November 18, 2022.

New Report Examines Pathways to Justice in British Columbia

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The Access to Justice Centre for Excellence at the University of Victoria (UVic ACE) has published new research that examines the pathways that people in British Columbia take to solve their civil justice problems. Understanding what people do when they experience a serious civil justice problem and the pathways that are accessible to them to resolve those problems offers important insights into people’s legal awareness and the impact of public legal education and information for the public. It also provides understandings on how people engage with the justice system. In addition, the increased use of technology in the legal sector is transforming how people interact with the legal system and requires further study to understand the impacts for existing pathways and the new pathways that will become available.

The “Navigating Access to Justice Pathways” report includes findings from an exploratory study of experiences with civil and family law problems in British Columbia that aims to:

  • Develop a more robust understanding of how people define the civil and family law justice problems they experience
  • Map common pathways used to resolve civil and family justice problems
  • Identify the barriers people face when they try to access certain pathways and the impact of those barriers on their decisions
  • Understand how people prioritize and manage multiple legal problems

Navigating Access to Justice Pathways: Problem Resolution Routes for People Experiencing Civil and Family Law Problems in British Columbia by Yvon Dandurand, Jessica Jahn, Cathy Tait, and Megan Capp is available online here: https://ajrndotco.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/5876c-navigatingaccesstojusticepathways_ace_april20_2022.pdf.

Justice Canada Publishes Call for Projects under the Canadian Family Justice Fund

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The Department of Justice of Canada has released a call for projects under the Canadian Family Justice Fund (CFJF). The CFJF “facilitates access to the family justice system for families experiencing separation and divorce through the provision of various services, programs and information resources”.

Project proposals are being sought that focus on the following priority areas:

  • Supporting the well-being of family members
  • Reaching diverse and underserved populations
  • Supporting alternatives to court
  • Improving and streamlining family justice system links/processes  

Individuals, non-profit organizations and non-profit professional organizations, societies or associations, educational institutions, and private sector organizations sponsoring non-profit projects in partnership with federal, provincial, or territorial governments are invited to apply. Information on the Canadian Family Justice Fund is available in English at https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/fund-fina/famil/index.html et en français à : https://www.justice.gc.ca/fra/fina-fund/famil/index.html.

Access to Justice Week in BC to take place February 7-11, 2022

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The next Access to Justice Week BC is February 7-11. BC’s Access to Justice Week is designed to “offer information and learning opportunities about access to justice in British Columbia.” Legal sector analyst, Jordan Furlong will give this year’s keynote event on February 9 on “Redefining Competencies for the 21st Century Lawyer”. For more information about events taking place at law schools across BC and online for Access to Justice Week BC, visit: http://www.a2jweekbc.ca/ or follow @a2jweekbc on Twitter for updat”es.

BC First Nations Justice Council To Hold Virtual Grand Opening For Indigenous Justice Centres

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On the heels of the recent announcement by federal Minister of Justice, David Lametti, and Attorney General for BC, David Eby regarding the signing of a tripartite memorandum of understanding to support the implementation of the BC First Nations Justice Strategy, and funding to support Indigenous Justice Centres in British Columbia, the BC First Nations Justice Council has announced a virtual grand opening to celebrate the launch of four new Indigenous Justice Centres.

The BC First Nations Justice Council, which seeks to support the well-being of future generations by upholding self-determination, reclaiming Indigenous legal traditions, and addressing systemic injustice invites the public to attend the grand opening on Wednesday, January 26 to learn about the new Indigenous Justice Centres. The event will take place at 11:00 am PST / 2:00 pm EST.

To register, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/bc-first-nations-justice-council-tickets-208242969327.