Category: Community posts

by the British Columbia Law Institute (BCLI)

Can you share your views on BCLI’s proposals to reform our province’s main child protection law?

About the proposals

Last month the British Columbia Law Institute published its Child Protection Project Committee’s Consultation Paper on Modernizing the Child, Family and Community Service Act. In this consultation paper the committee is asking for public comment on its proposals to government to reform British Columbia’s main child protection law.

“The committee has taken a focused review to the Act and found selected areas in need of improvement,” noted committee co-chair, Corinne Feenie. “The committee is proposing changes to the Act’s definitions, disclosure provisions, provisions for independent legal advice, and selected court
procedures and orders. The committee is also proposing new provisions to incorporate children’s views into child protection proceedings and for legal representation for children.”

“The committee hopes to receive a wide range of responses to its consultation paper,” said committee co-chair, Katrina Harry, a member of the Esketemc First Nation. “Due to the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in the child welfare system, it is particularly important that the committee receives feedback from Indigenous communities, representatives, and agencies, and the committee specifically welcomes and will solicit such input. Public response is important and will be taken into
account as the committee forms its final recommendations.”

How to share your views

Go to the BCLI website, where you can find:

• Copies of the consultation paper
• A backgrounder summarizing its contents
• A response booklet
• A link to the committee’s survey

The deadline for responses is 15 January 2021.

About the British Columbia Law Institute

The British Columbia Law Institute was created in 1997 by incorporation under the provincial Society Act. Its purposes are to promote the clarification and simplification of the law and its adaptation to modern social needs, promote improvement of the administration of justice and respect for the rule of law, and promote and carry out scholarly legal research.

Stay informed:

We ran a user survey on Clicklaw and Clicklaw Wikibooks websites from November 2019 to April 2020 to gather on-site feedback from the audience. This post is admittedly late, but we hope you’d still find it useful to know who our users are and what they think about the sites. Please read to the end for the prize winners and what they said.

Who are our users?

It looks like members of the public are still the primary users before the helpers or intermediaries. The proportion of this is higher for Clicklaw (76% of 1032 respondents) than for Clicklaw Wikibooks (65% of 465 respondents).

Why did they visit the site?

They mostly wanted to find legal information. This is more evident for Clicklaw Wikibooks (82%) than for Clicklaw (65%). The next reason was to find someone who can help with a legal question or problem. Clicklaw Wikibooks hosts plain language legal information. Clicklaw offers listings of online resources and the HelpMap for finding local legal services.

Were they able to find the legal info?

The good news is many Clicklaw users thought they succeeded – over half the respondents said they were able to find the legal info. A third chose neutral, which could mean they weren’t sure about what they found yet. They might feel like they would need more time to digest the information before saying it’s what they were looking for.

For Clicklaw Wikibooks, two-thirds of respondents (67%) indicated they could find the legal info. One-fifth of them were neutral (21%).

What did they say?

Here are some of the interesting comments we’d like you to know. Shout out to all the Clicklaw contributors! Let’s give a big round of applause for the legal professionals and law-related, non-profit organizations that contribute to the Clicklaw Wikibooks collection.

Clicklaw

I have used Clicklaw in the past and always found it helpful. Thanks for providing this valuable service.

I referred this website to my supervisor, co-workers and clients as well after learning about this thru the legal booth camp. Since then, this website has been my companion and source of info.

Thank you for putting and managing such an important resource online.

This website is a great resource for those that cannot afford a lawyer.

The site is straight forward. The general categories section with sub categories is easy to use. The questions in “Popular Questions” reflects my experience when assisting Library customers.

I didn’t have to look around too much. I found what I needed (phone #) right away. Thanks.

I was looking for information and a formset for an RA9 and found it; very pleased.

My thanks for posting and maintaining the legal information regarding pensions.

I truly appreciate the fact that the website helps people find the information. Information should be free asset and easy to access by everyone. This site is really useful.

Clicklaw Wikibooks

As a practising lawyer I find it a useful reference tool, thanks!

Great website. Especially on asset and debt division.

This site has been at the top of my search for answers since I separated and divorced over 10 years ago, and found myself in need of answers every few years, with new circumstances, from my rural home before heading to see a duty counsel, super grateful,,,,

thank you. many times i consult this site.

The page is professionally written, neatly laid out, and seems clear… at least at this early stage in my efforts to understand how things work out there. https://wiki.clicklaw.bc.ca/index.php?title=Steps_to_Take_regarding_Public_Complaints_(5:III)

very valuable information that help alleviate anxiety

I found more information here than I was expecting

It is very useful to be able to give clients a source for reliable information about family law.

its a great comfort knowing that i can get answers or directions on how to proceed on legal actions its rather confusing when you are not a lawyer

You guys are my heroes! I was despairing of ever being able to probate my late wife’s estate, which meant I couldn’t file her final taxes, file my back taxes, and file my new wife’s taxes. You’ve saved me a lot of headaches and stress by having this wonderful website set up with easily accessible forms. You’ve made it all nice and simple and set it all up in a way that makes my work so much easier! It’s still a lot of paperwork, but I’m good at that. Thank you so much!

Very informative site to help me as executor of father’s estate, and to “walk” me through the probate process. Thankyou!

Our entire board is now using the comparison of old and new model bylaws vs the Societies Act

The prize winners

Finally, we drew and delivered the prize, a Chapters gift card, to the winners. Congrats to ND in Smithers and RK in Burnaby.

One of them shared this comment, and with their permission, we’re sharing it here.

My visit to Clicklaw was to educate myself regarding resources I might be able to recommend to members of the public who use the small local library I work for in northern BC. I now feel better equipped to empower library users, especially more vulnerable members or our community.

Stay informed: