In a joint submission, West Coast LEAF and Rise Women’s Legal Centre responded to the BC Law Institute’s (BCLI) Consultation Paper on Parentage. The Consultation Paper suggests reforms that will update and modernize BC’s parentage laws under Part 3 of the Family Law Act (FLA). Parentage is the legal relationship between a parent and child. … Read more Joint submission to the BC Law Institute on Parentage
Today, we were at BC’s 2024 Budget presentation in Victoria on the unceded Coast Salish homelands of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples to hear whether the government will implement our key recommendations. Lawsuit settlement provides some much-need support, but not enough Last week, we announced a historic win as the government settled our lawsuit brought … Read more Budget 2024: Historic legal aid expansion, but lots left to do
VANCOUVER unceded Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) homelands – More people in B.C. will soon have a historic level of access to legal aid services, including legal representation through a new family law clinic model and a significant expansion of legal aid eligibility criteria. The Province, Legal Aid BC (LABC) and the Centre … Read more Release: $29M legal aid expansion for people experiencing family violence
Case summary This case is a human rights complaint brought by Nicholas Dinardo (Mx. Dinardo), regarding harassment and discrimination by Correctional Services Canada (CSC) on the grounds of race, colour, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender identity or expression, and disability, contrary to s. 5 and s. 14 of the Canada Human Rights Act (CHRA). … Read more Dinardo v Correctional Services Canada [2023]
Vancouver, unceded Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) homelands – Earlier this week, the BC Supreme Court (BCSC) released a decision in Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society (VACFSS) v R.R. that impacts how families can hold child welfare agencies accountable for discrimination. In November 2022, the BC Human Rights Tribunal ruled that … Read more Release: BC Supreme Court confirms Human Rights Tribunal jurisdiction, but sends Indigenous mother back for a rehearing
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When: November 21, 12:30-2:30 PM PT Who: What: Join West Coast LEAF, Courthouse Libraries BC, Stephanie Hodgson, and Rebecca McConchie in a discussion about the intersection between criminal law and child protection law. This webinar aims to provide the audience with an understanding of the overlap between Child, Family and Community Service Act matters and … Read more Webinar: The intersection of criminal and child protection law and practice
Vancouver, unceded Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) homelands – Today, West Coast LEAF will be at the BC Supreme Court, intervening in the review of a human rights decision concerning discrimination in the context of the family policing (or child welfare) system. The outcome of this judicial review has the power to impact … Read more Release: BC Supreme Court to review Human Rights Tribunal’s decision on discriminatory practice by child welfare agency
On June 15, 2023, West Coast LEAF appeared before BC’s Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services to share our key recommendations for Budget 2024…
We offer legal education that is based on our feminist and social justice values. In addition to providing information about law, our approach includes analyzing power and privilege, critiquing the law, and valuing non-legal pathways. Our public legal education programming has been providing people with information about colonial law for more than 20 years. Since then, … Read more Our intentions and values for public legal education and information