Pivot’s Rights Cards for Marginalized People

by Pivot Legal Society

“If it is not accessible to the poor, it is neither radical nor revolutionary”
Jonathan Herrera Soto

What are Rights Cards?  

The original card, “Statement for Police,” was first produced in 2002 and launched on the steps of the headquarters of the Vancouver Police Department. 17 years later, these rights cards remain an important resource. These wallet-sized cards are a handy resource for people who want a straightforward rights-based resource. In recent years, we have also collaborated with community groups to produce rights cards that meet the needs of their membership – including groups like Sex Workers United Against Violence (“SWUAV”) and the BC Association for People On Methadone (“BCAPOM”). The rights cards have been distributed to organizations across Canada.

You can access these cards via Clicklaw, or find them on our website:

How can Rights Cards help me?

If you are someone who regularly deals with law enforcement, these cards are meant to be a handy reference guide. The Statement for Police cards include an overview of your rights, what you can say to police when you are being stopped or questioned, and where to file a complaint. If you are stopped by the police, you can also provide them with the card rather than speaking to them.

Access to justice

A photo of Know Your Rights booklets in a pile
Know Your Rights Handbook

Know Your Rights resources are an important part of public legal education efforts. In addition to these materials, however, BC must prioritize steps police accountability processes. During workshops or community forums, Pivot staff regularly hear about how people are afraid of speaking up about their rights because they are not sure if it will escalate their encounter with the police or lead to retaliation in the future.

In Project Inclusion: Confronting anti-Homeless and anti-Substance User Stigma in BC we recommend that the Attorney General take immediate action to increase access to justice for people who believe they have been the victims of excessive force, discrimination, or harassment by police by dedicating legal aid funding for:

  • a clinic to support people to make police complaints through summary advice, short service, or full representation based on the needs of the individual and the nature of the complaint;
  • public legal education workshops and materials to help people navigate the process of bringing a lawsuit against a police officer or police force; and
  • legal representation for families and/or victims in instances of police-involved serious injury or death to facilitate full participation in a Coroner’s Inquests and civil actions.

What’s next?

Police accountability remains a core part of Pivot’s mandate and we continue to advocate for the rights and dignity of criminalized communities who navigate police as part of their daily survival. This past year we authored a memorandum on the unregulated practice of street checks also known as “carding,”  provided recommendations to the Special Committee to Review the Police Complaint Process, and called for a harm-reduction informed approach to policing in BC.

Other resources

About Pivot Legal Society

Pivot Legal Society, located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, works in partnership with marginalized people and grassroots organizations to challenge legislation, policies, and practices that undermine human rights, intensify poverty, and perpetuate stigma.

As an organization, we recognize the importance of handy, accessible, and informative public legal education materials. We work with many people who rely on public space and through this work we have become aware of barriers they face when accessing legal information, education, or services.

To stay connected to our work, please follow us on our social media below or sign up for our e-mail list.

Stay informed with Pivot Legal Society:

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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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