September marks the beginning of a new CBABC membership year of advocating for legal reforms, shaping policies and working to establish an equitable legal system. We also welcome a new session at the B.C. Legislative Assembly. Here are some recent highlights.
Access to Legal Aid
In August, the Standing Committee on Budget and Finance released their conclusions from the B.C. Budget 2024 Consultations, in which they echoed our recommendations to government to fund family law legal aid. This would enable low-income British Columbians to access legal aid representation for typical family law matters, such as child support, division of assets and debts and parenting arrangements.
Judicial Vacancies
Following a CBA submission to the Prime Minister, CBABC delivered a letter to the federal Minister of Justice urging the Canadian government to re-establish the Judicial Advisory Committee in B.C. and to fill the then-13 vacancies on the Supreme Court of B.C. In late August, the Committee was re-established and a few more judges were appointed. We encourage seasoned lawyers to apply.
Notaries’ Scope of Practice
CBABC prepared a submission to the Ministry of Attorney General setting out our concerns and recommendations regarding notaries’ desire to expand their scope of practice into trusts and estate administration. We are grateful to our members in Wills & Trusts Sections for their role in its development.
Family Law Act Review
In advance of the second phase of the B.C. government’s review of the Family Law Act, our members prepared submissions on the processes for section 211 reports and judicial case conferences. These were informed by our consultations with lawyers, psychologists, counsellors, social workers and judges.
UNDRIP
This fall, CBABC launched a new educational resource, A Lawyer’s Guide to UNDRIP. Coupled with our Advancing Reconciliation PD Series, the Guide will help lawyers better understand how they can apply the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and related legislation to their practice and advocacy work.
Artificial Intelligence
We recently responded to the B.C. Law Institute’s consultation paper on artificial intelligence and civil liability, outlining our concerns and making recommendations on how to update tort law to address harm caused by AI systems.
Looking Ahead
CBABC is working on our next Agenda for Justice 2024, our recommendations to the B.C. government for law and policy reform. We are currently engaging with members to gather their thoughts. When finalised, we’ll share this publication with all parties and candidates in advance of the next provincial election, currently set for next October. Read our previous Agenda for Justice 2021 at cbabc.org/A4J.