Submissions

In 2021, the Government formed a Special Committee to reform the Police Act. A public consultation was conducted and the final report of this Special Committee has now been published, along with recommendations for modernizing the legislation and policies around policing in BC.

CBABC has made a request to the Deputy Attorney General to amend section 203 of the Family Law Act. The current section creates a higher threshold to meet before the court can order a legal representative for a child who is involved in a family law matter. The proposed amendment would align the BC legislation with other jurisdictions by removing barriers to appointing counsel to assist children with their rights.

The Law Society of BC (LSBC) reviewed a report of their Access to Justice Advisory Committee in the fall of 2021 which looked into ways to improve access to justice in family law disputes. CBABC prepared a written submission with recommendations and further considerations for both LSBC and the BC Government as improvements are made to alleviate challenges for those needing to resolve family law matters.

The Rules of Contempt are under review by the BC Supreme Court Civil and Family Rules Committee (Rules Committee). The existing rules are outdated and do not reflect the range of options that are used under the court’s inherent jurisdiction when a court order is violated.

CBABC has asked the Land Owner Transparency administrator to consider a series of recommendations designed to improve the process and requirements for land owners to file notice of beneficial ownership in BC. These recommendations are in response to privacy concerns and technical issues identified by CBABC members.

CBABC requests that the Province of British Columbia commit to meaningful change to address systemic inequality. Indigenous communities deserve a unique and collaborative approach to justice that addresses the issues prevalent within their population.

In September, the Court Services Committee of CBABC made a submission to reform court scheduling entitled Modernizing the Supreme Court of British Columbia’s Scheduling System for Civil Matters. The Chief Justice of the BC Supreme Court has considered this submission and provided a letter in response.

The government heard from legal professionals that more time is needed to meet new requirements to file under the Land Owner Transparency Registry, and has extended the deadline an additional year to November 30, 2022.

The Law Society of BC has appointed Harry Cayton to conduct an independent review of its governance and how it meets the needs of the public and legal profession.

The recently enacted Land Owner Transparency Act, SBC 2019, c.23 (“LOTA”) requires that certain registered owners of real property interests in British Columbia file initial transparency reports disclosing their interest holders by November 30, 2021.