Legislative Updates

Order in Council 51/2021 dated February 1, 2020 amends the following: Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2020, S.B.C. 2020, c. 14, s. 74; Family Law Act, S.B.C. 2011, c. 25, ss. 245 (1), 247 and 248 (2) and (3); Family Maintenance Enforcement Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 127, s. 51; Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act, S.B.C. 2002, c. 29, s. 44 (2)

2019 Bill 17, c. 19 (B.C. Reg. 161/2020) of the Environmental Management Amendment Act, 2019 is in effect February 1, 2021. These amendments impact the Land Title Act, Property Law Act, Islands Trust Act and Vancouver Charter.

New amendments to Schedule 1 and 2 for Supreme Court Family Rules came into effect January 25, 2021.

The Government of Canada has issued an Order in Council to waive quarantine requirements when crossing the border if the travel pertains to the custody and access of a dependent child pursuant to a written agreement or court order.

The Climate Change Accountability Act has been amended to set climate change targets for individual sectors.

Certain sections of the Workers Compensation Amendment Act, 2020 come into force January 1, 2021 and provide for compensation for permanent partial disability, determination of a worker’s date of retirement, and transitional provisions.

On December 21, 2020, Order in Council 655/2020 was made; it provides that, effective March 25, 2021, the suspension of every mandatory limitation period and any other mandatory time period that is established in an enactment or law of British Columbia within which a civil or family action, proceeding, claim, or appeal must be commenced in the Provincial Court, Supreme Court, or Court of Appeal will end.

Effective December 15, 2020, new sections of the Act and Regulations are brought into force, which impact licensing requirements of employers who hire temporary foreign workers.

Effective December 7, 2020, the Provincial Court (Family) Rules, B.C. Reg. 417/98, are amended as set out in Schedule 1, and the Provincial Court Family Rules, B.C. Reg. 120/2020, are amended as set out in Schedule 2.

The new Act came into force on November 30, 2020, requiring those registering an interest in land to file a Transparency Declaration.