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Purpose The objective of this Notice to the Profession and Public is to outline the guidelines for using a support person (also referred to as a courtroom companion or “McKenzie friend”) in Provincial Court small claims or family proceedings. A support person may also be subject to any applicable provisions of the Legal Profession Act.

The Honourable J. Christopher Grauer, a Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, is appointed a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia. The Honourable Peter H. Edelmann, Partner at Edelmann & Company Law Corporation in Vancouver, is appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

Lawyers are expressing disappointment that fixing mandatory minimum penalties (MMPs) is not on the federal government’s new list of justice priorities, but they are also welcoming Liberal commitments to stump up more cash to hire judges and Crowns and to create an independent body to review allegedly wrongful convictions.

CBABC congratulates the 2019 recipients of the Queen’s Counsel designation in recognition of their exceptional merit and contribution to the legal profession in British Columbia.

Provincial Court Chief Judge Melissa Gillespie announced today that British Columbia’s seventh Indigenous sentencing court will open in Williams Lake in April 2020.

"We have committed to an open, honest government that is accountable to Canadians, lives up to the highest ethical standards and applies the utmost care and prudence in the handling of public funds. I expect you to embody these values in your work and observe the highest ethical standards in everything you do. I want Canadians to look on their own government with pride and trust."

Society responds to gaps in legal education identified in Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Extensive amendments to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (“BIA”) and Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (“CCAA”) coming into force on November 1, 2019 through Bill C-97 will have a significant effect on certain aspects of insolvency proceedings commenced after that date. The wide-ranging revisions to both the BIA and CCAA will likely foster changes to the currently existing insolvency and restructuring practice in Canada.

The BC government proposes sweeping changes to the Securities Act (British Columbia) (the “Act”), which will allow the British Columbia Securities Commission (“BCSC”) to better address white collar investment crime. Proposed through Bill 33 Securities Amendment Act, 2019, the amendments will provide the BCSC with some of the strongest powers in Canada to protect investors and enforce sanctions. These are the first major revisions to the legislation in almost a decade.

Bill 41 requires the government, among other things, to take all necessary measures to ensure provincial laws are consistent with UNDRIP. The Bill also states that "Nothing in this Act is to be construed as delaying the application of the Declaration to the laws of British Columbia."