Legal Aid Advocacy

For many years, West Coast LEAF has been involved in improving access to justice.

Since 2002, legal aid in British Columbia has undergone drastic cuts. Poverty law services have been completely eliminated, and family law services have been significantly reduced. Women are particularly impacted by the cuts to family law legal aid, and gender equality in this province has suffered as a result.

West Coast LEAF has been involved in this issue for many years, actively calling for renewed funding of legal aid and equal access to justice in BC. We strongly believe that rights are meaningless without access to the means of enforcing them, and additionally, that there are significant social and economic costs to a system that excludes those not wealthy enough to afford legal representation.

West Coast LEAF Access to Justice Initiatives

• Test Case: Single Mothers Alliance v BC
• Report: Justice Reform for BC
• Report: Putting Justice Back on the Map
• Report: Rights Based Legal Aid: Rebuilding BC’s Broken System
• Past Access to Justice initiatives