Congrats to Monique Pongracic-Speier
Huge congratulations are in order for Monique Pongracic-Speier, KC, for receiving the 2024 Harry Rankin, QC Pro Bono Award from the Canadian Bar Association of BC. Monique is a brilliant litigator, a dedicated advocate, and —we’re grateful to say—a long-time friend of and collaborator with West Coast LEAF. We know from working alongside Monique that she is driven by a steadfast commitment to human rights and access to justice.
Monique has been a change-maker in the legal system for over two decades, frequently working on behalf of individuals and groups whose rights and interests are underrepresented before the courts. One of Monique’s most groundbreaking cases was PHS Community Services Society v. Canada (Attorney General), which helped to save countless lives by preventing the closure of North America’s first safe injection site here in Vancouver.
More recently, Monique was lead counsel in West Coast LEAF’s first test case, Single Mothers’ Alliance of BC v Province of British Columbia and Legal Services Society. In this constitutional challenge to BC’s legal aid regime, the plaintiff Single Mothers’ Alliance (now known as the Centre for Family Equity) argued that inadequate legal aid services violate the equality, safety, and access to justice rights of women who require protection from abuse in their family law cases. After nearly seven years of litigation, during which we overcame two attempts by the Province to strike down the claim, we reached a settlement with the Province and Legal Aid BC for a historic investment in legal aid services for abuse survivors—one that would not have been possible without Monique’s expertise.
Kate Feeney, director of litigation at West Coast LEAF, worked with Monique extensively on the case. Reflecting on her time working alongside Monique, Kate says: “Over many years of hotly contested litigation, Monique demonstrated an unwavering commitment to vindicating the rights of single mothers. Her leadership and vision were not only critical to the SMA case’s success, but also nurtured an ethos of collaboration, support and mentorship for our legal team.”
To learn more about Monique’s contributions to this once-in-a-generation victory for access to legal aid, check out our case page.