Announcements

The Province and the Legal Services Society (LSS) have announced a one-time grant of $7.9 million to support the development of a new framework for legal aid funding.

“We are pleased with the improvement to the tariff announced today,” said CBABC President, Ken Armstrong. “It’s important for British Columbians because it means more legal aid lawyers will be able to take on more cases to represent low-income British Columbians who qualify for assistance.”

The objective of this Notice to the Profession and Public is to advise of the court location for hearing domestic violence files (“K files”) that are within the catchment or geographic jurisdiction of the Downtown Community Court (“DCC”).

The work this year will focus on the impact of changes to the Supreme Court Civil Rules and the inclusion of some motor vehicle accident claims within the Civil Resolution Tribunal.

The CBABC seeks candidates from which it will appoint its representative to the Land Title and Survey Authority of BC’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee for a term beginning November 15 and continuing until March 31, 2021.

This year’s work will include deeper development of the CBABC’s support for Unified Family Courts and additional work regarding alternative legal service providers.

Take a look at the people in your neighbourhood, where you live or work — the people that you meet when you’re walking down the street, as the Sesame Street song says. Some, you can’t help but notice, are already in trouble — people asking for money, or sleeping on the street. But others who might look like they have it all under control could be one legal issue away from personal disaster.

Congratulations to Khaled Shariff (In-House Counsel, Squamish First Nation), Cheryl D'Sa (Managing Partner, Narwal Litigation), Sharon Singh (Associate, Bennett Jones) and Leena Yousefi (CEO YLaw Group).

CBABC was granted standing to participate in the Cullen Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in BC. The ruling was issued Sep 24, 2019. The Cullen Commission looks at the full scope of money laundering in BC, including real estate, gaming, financial institutions and the corporate and professional sectors.

Whistleblowers and B.C. Lottery Corp. officials will have to provide more information to the Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering before it can be determined whether they will get standing, commission lawyer Brock Martland said Tuesday.