2018 Bi-Monthly Update Series: May/June

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

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


The Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch (CBA BC)

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

Working with Your Legal Aid Lawyer
by Legal Services Society

Now available in French. This fact sheet outlines client and lawyer roles and responsibilities, so each knows what to expect from the legal aid contract.

Gender Self-Determination Project
by PACE Society

A program designed to help trans* folks get proper ID. We work one-on-one with anyone who identifies as trans, two-spirit, non-binary, or otherwise gender-diverse to apply to change their name and/or gender marker and acquire updated IDs. We are able to cover any costs that we cannot get waived by the organizations themselves.

Environmental Legal Aid
by West Coast Environmental Law

West Coast Environmental Law offers free legal advice to help community groups, First Nations and individuals understand their environmental rights. We also offer funding support through our Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund (EDRF), which connects British Columbians with a network of private environmental lawyers around the province willing to work at a legal aid rate.

SFU Centre for Education, Law and Society

The following lesson ideas and educational resources for teachers and students have been reviewed or updated to reflect the new BC curriculum:

Employment Standards Act Reform Project
by British Columbia Law Institute (BCLI)

BCLI has issued a consultation paper on BC’s Employment Standards Act to seek public comment on tentative recommendations for reforming the Act. Responses are requested by 31 August 2018.

Environmental Law Centre, University of Victoria

Submissions on Human Trafficking to Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights
by Pivot Legal Society

Consensual, adult sex work and human trafficking are distinct. Canada’s laws and policies will only be effective if they recognize the difference between these two concepts.

Cannabis in Canada
by the Government of Canada

Information on what you need to know and what the law means for you. Topics include cannabis and the border, cannabis impairment, and how the laws and regulations will impact your business.

Guidance Document – Competitive Advantage: Compliance with PIPA and the GDPR
by Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC (OIPC)

Effective May 25, 2018, some organizations subject to PIPA must also comply with the European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This guidance helps organizations in BC determine whether they are subject to the GDPR and explains how to comply with both PIPA and the GDPR.

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

  • The Internet of Things
    An introduction to privacy issues with a focus on the retail and home environments.
  • Guidelines for Obtaining Meaningful Consent
    This document sets out practical & actionable guidance regarding what organizations should do to ensure that they obtain meaningful consent. It contains information about the guiding principles for obtaining consent, determining the appropriate form of consent, and the legal requirements.

New & Updated Common Questions

Common Questions help narrow down the resources people should start with. Do you get asked the same questions over and over again by your clients? Send your suggestions to editor[@]clicklaw.bc.ca

Stay informed:

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Organization of the Month | April 2018

This month, we feature Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch, a Clicklaw contributor.

CBABC is the provincial division of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA). The CBA is a professional, voluntary organization representing 38,000 lawyers, judges, Quebec notaries, law teachers, and law students from across Canada. More than 6,700 are members of the BC Branch. CBABC operates the Dial-A-Law service.

Law Week 2018 is fast approaching and the Canadian Bar Association’s BC Branch is looking forward to celebrating the signing of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms during the week of April 16-22, 2018.

Originated by the Canadian Bar Association and first held in Canada in 1983, Law Week provides an excellent opportunity for the legal profession to educate the public about the vital role that lawyers and the judiciary serve in guaranteeing an open, independent and unbiased judicial system.

Law Week events are held in communities throughout British Columbia during the month of April and into May this year and are made possible through the efforts of lawyers who donate thousands of hours of volunteer time across Canada.

2018 Events include: courthouse tours, free public law classes, Dial-A-Lawyer Day, The Barry Sullivan Law Cup, Meet the Chiefs student forum, and Judges in the Classroom.

Dial-A-Lawyer Day is an annual event and an integral part of Law Week in BC. British Columbians are invited to speak with a lawyer for up to 15 minutes at no cost about the following areas of law: Business, Employment, Family, Immigration, Tort & Motor Vehicle, and Wills & Estates. Last year, a staggering 325 calls were answered by a group of 20 volunteer lawyers who provided the public with this very valuable service.

Law Week is a collaborative project organized through the partnership of the BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, the Law Foundation of British Columbia, the Law Society of British Columbia, the Vancouver Bar Association, and the Trial Lawyers Association of BC.

To find out more information about Law Week and how you can participate, visit the Law Week website.

Follow and participate on Twitter: @BCLawWeek  #BCLawWeek

In other news…

Earlier this year, CBABC announced the launch of the new BC Legal Directory. After 30 years in print, the publication is now a purely online experience optimized for mobile devices and fully accessible to the public for the first time.

The BC Legal Directory is the most comprehensive listing of BC lawyers, including private practice, corporate counsel and government lawyers. The directory also includes the judiciary, paralegals, notaries and law-related groups such as law schools and local bar associations. Lawyer profiles are searchable by name, location, languages spoken and areas of practice. The directory offers more robust profiles and wider exposure for legal professionals, along with the capacity to update a profile at any time.

Stay informed with CBABC:

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