Category: Community posts

Legal Help from Home: Amici Curiae’s Legal Forms Workshop

Community posts

Legal Help from Home is a Clicklaw Blog series highlighting free or low-cost resources available during COVID-19.

Public health directives associated with the response to the pandemic have changed accessibility to various services, creating what can be a confusing landscape for anyone needing access to legal resources. To ease confusion and highlight resources available and how to access them, Clicklaw has put together the Covid-19 Resources for British Columbians wikibook and will be featuring legal help and tools in this and other Clicklaw Blog posts. The resources featured in this series provide help beyond finding legal info and are accessible from home or remotely.

Navigating forms during COVID-19

Isolation or quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a variety of challenges for people who need help with filling out legal forms. The Amici Curiae Friendship Society offers free confidential workshops that help members of the public complete legal forms necessary to present a matter to a court or tribunal. This service is available to everyone regardless of their means. During the pandemic, the AC Friendship Society is providing virtual appointments in which a legal professional (such as a paralegal) will assist you with completing forms, under the supervision of a lawyer. Sometimes, legal advice is given to help complete a form.

How does it work?

Meetings are conducted via video conference using a software called Zoom. The first step is to receive a 30-minute training on how to use Zoom, then you will be booked for service.  If you are a victim of gendered violence or if you cannot use a computer, meetings will be done over the phone. For first time clients, an AC Friendship Society volunteer will help you write your legal history, for reference during your subsequent appointments. This requirement will be waived for temporary foreign workers seeking uncontested divorce applications, as well as for those on a tight deadline.

What can I ask about?

The AC Friendship Society can assist with filling out forms in most areas of law, as outlined here. During your meeting(s), which will run for one to two hours, you may ask for:

  • Details on how to fill out your forms
  • Guidance on next steps
  • Guidance on any additional documents you might need, and
  • Direction to further resources to help you down the legal path

The number of appointments allowed is unlimited, meaning that you decide how much support you need before you can move forward. How to Make the Most of Your Appointment with Amici Curiae (Friends of the Court) is a good guide on how to best use your time with the legal professionals at Amici Curiae.

How do I access it?

A screenshot of the Virtual AC website

For more information about obtaining assistance from the Amici Curiae Friendship Society, visit https://www.legalformsbc.ca/

Find it on Clicklaw: https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/helpmap/service/1180.

Stay informed:

To stay informed on resources available during COVID-19 restrictions, visit Covid-19 Resources for British Columbians.

Find it on Clicklaw: https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/resource/4725 or use short URL: bit.ly/covid19bc

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SHARP Workplaces Poster

SHARP Workplaces for Help with Sexual Harassment Claims in the Workplace

Community posts

by Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS)

Free legal advice is available to anyone who has experienced workplace sexual harassment from the SHARP Workplaces legal clinic.

What is sexual harassment in the workplace?

Sexual harassment in the workplace is an unfortunate reality for many British Colombians, yet studies have shown it still goes under-reported. In fact, a 2017 study of Canadian working women showed that more than half of them had experienced sexual harassment during their careers, but only about a quarter complained or reported the issue. As a country that seems to pride itself in striving to gender equality, this is a disheartening figure.

One barrier to reporting may be that many British Colombians are not sure what workplace sexual harassment is. The Supreme Court of Canada has defined sexual harassment as;

“unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that detrimentally affects the work environment or leads to adverse job-related consequences for the victims of the harassment.”

It can happen in any type of workplace, and includes a range of behaviors that abuse power and may make the recipient feel unsafe in their place of work.

How can SHARP Workplaces help me?

While recent social movements have created awareness of unacceptable behaviors, there is still a gap in service for workers to access advice, education, and proper information to address sexual harassment if it should happen to them. This is especially important for marginalized groups, such as Indigenous people, LGBTQ2S+, ethnic and cultural minorities, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups in society.

The new partnership between the Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS) and the Ending Violence Association of BC (EVABC) aims to fill that gap, by creating SHARP Workplaces, funded by the Department of Justice Canada. This program offers a free legal service offering up to 5 hours of free confidential legal advice and is available to anyone in BC who has a complaint regarding workplace sexual harassment in BC. By providing legal advice, SHARP Workplaces wants to ensure that workers know their rights and have the appropriate support to take whatever avenue they feel is best. SHARP Workplaces will also provide free education and training to small businesses, non-profits and Indigenous organizations.

How do I access the service?

People who experience sexual harassment can access the SHARP Workplaces legal advice service by calling: 604-673-3143 or toll-free: 1-888-685-6222, emailing SHARPWorkplaces@clasbc.net or by going to clasbc.net.

Find it on Clicklaw: https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/helpmap/service/1307

For referrals to support services after 5 p.m., please call VictimLinkBC: 1-800-563-0808. 

Education and training workshops can be requested from Ending Violence Association of BC by calling: 604-682-8820, or emailing education@endingviolence.org.

I help the people in my community. What can SHARP Workplaces do for me?

Intermediaries are encouraged to reach out to SHARP Workplaces if they would like to request a presentation for their organization to learn more about our legal advice service, education and training services and about workplace sexual harassment. Advocates who may be supporting clients with their workplace sexual harassment claims may also contact SHARP Workplaces for advice.

About CLAS

The Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS) is a non-profit society providing legal assistance, information and education in BC, and works to advance the law to address the critical needs of those who are disadvantaged or face discrimination. For further information, please see: www.clasbc.net

About EVA BC

The Ending Violence Association of British Columbia (EVA BC) works to coordinate and support the work of victim-serving and other anti-violence programs in British Columbia through the provision of issue-based consultation and analysis, resource development, training, research and education. Our work is guided by respect for difference, human dignity and equality. https://endingviolence.org/

Stay informed:

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