provincial court of bc – Clicklaw Blog

Webinar: Provincial Court Family Rules

June 2, 2021 Clicklaw Editor Community posts, Events

Q&A on the New Provincial Court Family Rules

Thursday June 24, 2021 12:30 – 2pm (PT)

Join us for a 1.5-hour webinar exploring questions and concerns you and your clients may have around the implementation of the new BC Provincial Court Family Rules (PCFR). The Rules took effect on May 17, 2021, with significant changes made to processes and forms. This is an introductory-level and practical focused webinar aimed at intermediaries (advocates, librarians, and community workers) and general practitioner lawyers.

Our panel will include representatives from the Ministry of Attorney General as well as a private bar lawyer.

Panel:

Erin Smith is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Family Policy Legislation and Transformation Division of the Ministry of Attorney General. Erin’s experience in court operations and policy informed her contributions to the PCFR, including policy, legislation, forms, Victoria and Surrey Early Resolution as well as the province-wide PCFR implementation.

Kari Erickson, Manager, Court Administration, Court Services Branch, Ministry of Attorney General. Kari’s experience is in court operations having worked in several different courthouses on Vancouver Island as well as in Vancouver. Kari was the CSB Lead for the implementation of Early Resolution and Case Management model in Surrey and Victoria and has assisted Senior Policy Analyst, Shelley Gin, with the implementation of the Provincial Court Family Rules.

Oriole Courcy is a Senior Program and Policy Analyst with Family Justice Services Division (FJSD) of the Ministry of Attorney General. Oriole supports operations and policy for Family Justice Centres and Justice Access Centres throughout BC. Oriole is the FJSD lead for implementation of Early Resolution and Case Management in Victoria and Surrey, as well as the broader Provincial Court Family Rules.

Susan Loney is a family lawyer (called to the bar in 1993) in Victoria with a particular emphasis on Provincial Court matters both in family law and child protection, and supporting clients through mediations. She is Co-Lead Family Duty Counsel in Victoria for Legal Aid BC and participated in the Victoria prototype of the Early Resolution Process, working closely with all stakeholders during the early stages since May 2019.

Based on their experience and expertise, the panel will answer questions about the new rules, processes and forms as well as about services available through Family Justice and Justice Access Centres. As this webinar will be responsive to the questions and concerns you have about the new PCFR, we ask that registrants participate in our ThoughtExchange in advance.

Upon registration, you will be provided with a link to participate in the ThoughtExchange, where you can enter questions anonymously and see what questions other registrants have posed. While the ThoughtExchange is anonymous, questions posed there will be visible to other registrants. Please avoid including any personally identifying information about clients.

Participants in this webinar may claim up to 1.5hrs of CPD with LSBC.

Stay informed:

2017 Bi-Monthly Update Series: November/December

December 19, 2017 Clicklaw Editor New on Clicklaw, The broader context

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

Legal Services Society

Gladue Submission Guide
This new, plain language booklet for Aboriginal peoples explains how to prepare a Gladue submission to help the judge decide bail or sentencing. Includes a Gladue factors checklist and a worksheet to help Aboriginal peoples, lawyers, and Native courtworkers gather information needed to prepare a submission.
Your Gladue Rights
This revised booklet explains Gladue rights, rights under the Criminal Code that apply to anyone who identifies as Aboriginal. Gladue rights can apply at bail and sentencing hearings.
Sponsorship Breakdown
This updated booklet is for permanent residents who need help when the person sponsoring them in Canada is no longer supporting them.

Provincial Court of BC

CFCSA flowchart (Child Protection Matters)
Chart shows possible stages and orders in child protection proceedings under the Child, Family and Community Service Act, with notes – statute sections are hyperlinked to the Act.
Criminal Case Flowchart
Stages in a Criminal Case: These notes provide more information about criminal procedure – the procedures set out in the Criminal Code of Canada to be followed in criminal cases.
BC Provincial Court Common Questions
General information about the Provincial Court and the BC justice system.

Disability Alliance BC Help Sheets Update

The following help sheets on BC’s disability benefits have been updated:

Small Claims Trial Preparation Clinic
by Seniors First BC

Are you a senior representing yourself in a Small Claims Court proceeding? Call 604-336-5653 to find out more about this Trial Preparation Clinic. A lawyer will call you back to assess if the clinic is able to assist.

Mothers Without Status
by YWCA Vancouver

This updated booklet is for service providers assisting “mothers without status”. It now has new content on MCFD and has been updated for immigration and Family Law Act changes.

Financing Litigation Legal Research Project
by British Columbia Law Institute (BCLI)

The paper reviews six financing models to pay for litigation: unbundled legal services, third-party litigation funding, alternative fee arrangements, crowdfunding, legal expense insurance, and publicly funded litigation funds. It also discusses 18 ideas on how to enhance the use of each model.

Operating in Darkness: BC’s Mental Health Act Detention System
by Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS)

Mental health detentions in BC have increased dramatically over the last ten years. This report reveals several disturbing practices and points to a number of deep flaws in the BC Mental Health Act that do not comply with the rights guaranteed by the Charter and international human rights law.

2017 CEDAW Report Card
by West Coast LEAF

The annual CEDAW Report Card grades BC’s compliance with United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). BC’s record of action and inaction in the past year is assessed in nine key areas impacting the rights of women and girls.

The National Self-Represented Litigants Project

Navigating the Justice System: A Guide for Self-Represented Litigants with Disabilities
This guide is for self-represented litigants (SRLs) who are also people with disabilities (PWDs). It provides information on disability accommodations and resources in the justice system. It includes a list of organizations that may be able to help.
Reading and Understanding Case Reports: A Guide for Self-Represented Litigants
This guide helps self-represented litigants (SRLs) with reading case reports. It gives advice to SRLs on how to read and use case law in their legal research and is a companion to the CanLII primer. It also includes a glossary of important terms and a list of court abbreviations.

Charterpedia
by the Government of Canada

Charterpedia provides legal info about the Charter and contains information about the purpose of each section of the Charter, the analysis or test developed through case law in respect of the section, and any particular considerations related to it. Each Charterpedia entry cites relevant case law.

Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family

Children’s Participation in Justice Processes
The final results of survey of participants from a 2-day national symposium with a multidisciplinary spectrum of leading stakeholders to share info & dialogue about how: voices of children and youth are heard, their interests are protected & evidence is received in justice proceedings.
The Development of Parenting Coordination and an Examination of Policies and Practices in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta
A review of the development of parenting coordination in the US & its adoption in Canada, and the findings of the research available to date on parenting coordination, its efficacy in resolving parenting disputes, its efficacy in steering such disputes out of court & its impact on parental conflict.