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The Judicial Council of B.C. is looking for applicants from diverse backgrounds who have had a minimum of 5 years active practice as a lawyer in Canada (those with less legal practice experience may be considered if they have a range of related experience), who are interested in part time adjudication work as a Judicial Justice of the Provincial Court.

By Order in Council 559/2022, the BC government has announced that the Provincial Court Child, Family and Community Service Act Rules will be amended on December 19, 2022.

In case you missed it, the Supreme Court of BC launched a Masters Chambers Pilot that allows for eFiling of eBinders for Masters Chambers at all court registries on Vancouver Island and Powell River. The Pilot commenced on August 15, 2022.

The CBABC seeks candidates from which it will appoint its next representative to the Council to Reduce Elder Abuse who will succeed Krista James for a term beginning February 1, 2023 and continuing until August 31, 2025.

The Government of British Columbia is appointing three new Provincial Court judges to support continued access to justice. The three judges to be appointed are: Judge David Simpkin, effective Dec. 1, 2022; Judge Lynett Jung, effective Dec. 1, 2022; and Judge Tim Hinkson, effective Nov. 18, 2022.

CBABC has delivered a submission to the Supreme Court of British Columbia requesting a return to virtual Chambers hearings for short matters in civil and family law proceedings with the ability to obtain in-person appearances where circumstances warrant.

Several alarming details have emerged from the first comprehensive national study on the personal wellness of members of the legal profession in Canada.

In January 2023, the provincial government will implement changes to the Property Law Act to make the Home Buyer Rescission Period, commonly referred to as the ‘cooling-off period’, mandatory for residential real estate transactions. These amendments are intended to protect homebuyers.

On October 26, the provincial government introduced Bill 38, the Indigenous Self-Government in Child and Family Services Amendment Act. The Bill proposes amendments to the Adoption Act and the Child, Family and Community Service Act.

Findings from the first comprehensive national study of its kind paint an alarming picture of the wellness of Canadian legal professionals. Legal professionals in all areas of practice and in all jurisdictions suffer from significantly high levels of psychological distress, depression, anxiety, burnout and suicidal ideation, with those in the early years of practice experiencing some of the highest rates of distress.