2018 Bi-Monthly Update Series: March/April

To keep you informed, here are some highlights of changes and updates made to Clicklaw in March and April:

Jan-Feb | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | Jul-Aug | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec


Courthouse Libraries BC

New extended hours for Kamloops, Nanaimo, New Westminster locations: Monday to Friday, from 8:30-12:00 pm, 12:30-4:00 pm.

The Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch (CBA BC)

Many Dial-A-Law scripts have been updated. For a complete list of these resources, see their listings here (sorted by “last reviewed date”). Some of the updated scripts are:

Disability Alliance BC

The following resources have been updated:

The help sheets and videos from the series “How I Need to Know” are now available on Clicklaw. The publications provide information for people with disabilities who are victims of crime. See the listings here (sorted in alphabetical order).

Legal Services Society

New and updated publications:

New languages other than English are now available for the following publications:

Parents Legal Centre

The Parents Legal Centre (PLC) provides a lawyer and an advocate to help parents in select locations settle their child protection matters early on and collaboratively (everyone works together). Locations: Surrey and Vancouver.

Nidus

Pivot Legal Society

One of our new contributor organizations have made their resources available on Clicklaw:

Is That Legal? (CyberMisogyny Legal Guide)
by West Coast LEAF

Understanding Canadian law on issues of online harassment, exploitation, & abuse. Now available in Arabic, Chinese (simplified & traditional), Punjabi, and Spanish. Co-published with Legal Services Society.

Strata Property Law—Phase Two
by British Columbia Law Institute (BCLI)

This project is intended to make recommendations to reform the Strata Property Act, in seven identified areas, to help in the development of the next generation of strata-property law in British Columbia.

Environmental Law Centre UVic

Their work on legal issues affecting the environment in BC have been recently added to Clicklaw. See the full listings here and some of their most recent reports below.

Landlord Registry™
by LandlordBC

A program for landlords & building/property managers in BC. For $39 plus tax, enrollees receive access to the e-learning tool I Rent It Right™ and a 3 year access to the online tool kit. This program provides them with fundamental education & best practises in regard to the Residential Tenancy Act.

Property Assessment Appeal Board – Online Dispute Resolution
by the Property Assessment Appeal Board of BC

This new service is available for you to appeal the property assessment of your residential properties. It allows you to have the option to resolve your appeal completely online.

An Evaluation of the Cost of Family Law Disputes: Measuring the Cost Implication of Various Dispute Resolution Methods
by the Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family

This study describes the results of a survey of family law lawyers and their views of the use of collaborative processes, mediation, arbitration and litigation in family law disputes.

Stay informed:

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Changes to Small Claims on June 1st

What is Small Claims Court?

Small Claims Court is a division of BC’s Provincial Court. It is for most disputes about debts or damages involving less than $25,000 (with some exceptions). This limit will be increased to $35,000 in June – see below.

The process is generally simpler and faster than the Supreme Court of BC, and is designed for people to use with or without a lawyer.

Changes coming June 1st

The Civil Resolution Tribunal is Canada’s first online tribunal for resolving strata and small claims disputes.

From June 1, 2017, the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) will begin resolving small claims disputes up to $5,000. This will be combined with an increase to $35,000 in the BC Provincial Court’s jurisdiction for small claims cases.

This is the first phase of implementing the CRT’s small claims jurisdiction and using the CRT will be mandatory for most claims up to $5,000. See the official announcement from the Ministry of Justice here.

Update from Provincial Court

See this update from BC Provincial Court on the important changes to Small Claims Court. It covers where the Provincial Court will still have a role in claims $5000 or less, after June 1st, what you can do if you are not satisfied with a CRT adjudicator’s decision, and much more.

More about the CRT

From the CRT website:

  • The Civil Resolution Tribunal is Canada’s first online tribunal for resolving strata and small claims disputes.
  • Right now, the CRT is accepting strata property disputes for intake. Soon, it will begin to accept small claims disputes as well. It offers new ways to resolve your legal issues in a timely and cost-effective manner.
  • The CRT encourages a collaborative, problem-solving approach to dispute resolution, rather than the traditional courtroom model. The CRT aims to provide timely access to justice, built around your life and your needs. It does this by providing legal information, self-help tools, and dispute resolution services to help solve your problem, as early as possible.
  • You can use the CRT 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from a computer or mobile device that has an internet connection.
  • Your interaction with the other participant and/or the CRT can be done when it is convenient for you.
  • Telephone and mail services will also be available for those who can’t access the internet.

The tribunal has been resolving strata disputes since July 2016, encouraging collaborative agreements and making binding decisions when people cannot agree. Once filed, a Tribunal order has the same force and effect as an order of the Supreme Court of BC.

We’ll be posting more information about the CRT and changes to small claims, as it becomes available. Stay tuned.

Stay informed with the CRT:

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