October 5, 2022 – For Immediate Release Ottawa, unceded Algonquin Anishinaabe territory – The Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) discriminates against refugee women, yet courts have decided not to consider their arguments. When the Supreme Court of Canada hears submissions in Canadian Council for Refugees, et al. v. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, et al. on October … Read more Release: Rights groups to argue in Supreme Court case that survivors of gender-based violence and their equality rights claims cannot be ignored by the courts
October 11, 2022 – For Immediate Release Ottawa, unceded Algonquin Anishinaabe territory – Today, West Coast LEAF is intervening at the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) in Hansman v Neufeld, a case that will affect the ability of British Columbians to speak out against public discourse that threatens the dignity, equality, and safety of marginalized groups. The SCC … Read more Release: Supreme Court of Canada case to address equality implications of defamation lawsuits against marginalized people
The Gender Equality Report Card is an ongoing project that assesses the BC government’s progress in advancing gender equality…
Tuesday, August 23, 2022—For Immediate Release Vancouver, unceded Coast Salish homelands—Today, West Coast LEAF is in court to defend the public interest standing of the Centre for Family Equity (CFE), formerly known as Single Mothers’ Alliance (SMA) in their constitutional challenge to BC’s family law legal aid regime. In an outrageous attack on access to … Read more Release: Rights group in court to defend right of Single Mothers’ Alliance to challenge BC’s family law legal aid regime
In a historic move, BC has become the first Canadian province to end immigration detention in its jails!…
Today, the Supreme Court of Canada released a decision that improves protections for sexual assault survivors in criminal trials. The decision in R v J.J. and A.S. v Her Majesty the Queen et al. will have a major impact on how courts handle sexual assault cases, and how a survivor’s private records can be used. Learn more about the protections for … Read more More good news from the Supreme Court of Canada!
For Immediate Release – Thursday, June 30, 2022 Ottawa, unceded Algonquin Anishinaabe territory—The Supreme Court of Canada released a decision today that will improve protections for sexual assault survivors in criminal trials. The decision in R v J.J. and A.S. v Her Majesty the Queen et al. has significant implications for how courts handle sexual … Read more Release: Supreme Court releases decision that protects sexual assault survivors in criminal trials
Case summary This case is about the proper interpretation and application of BC’s Protection of Public Participation Act (PPPA). The PPPA was enacted to stop corporations and people with power from using the legal system to silence those who speak out on public interest matters. Section 4 of the PPPA allows a court to dismiss an otherwise meritorious lawsuit when the … Read more Hansman v Neufeld [2022]
For immediate release – Thursday, June 23, 2022 Ottawa (unceded Algonquin Anishinaabe territory) –Today, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) released a decision in Council of Canadians with Disabilities v British Columbia that upholds access to justice and the ability of public interest organizations to bring legal cases on behalf of marginalized communities. “Canada’s highest court has … Read more Release: Supreme Court upholds access to justice in Charter challenges
In an important victory for survivors of family violence, the Supreme Court of Canada released a decision in Barendregt v Grebliunas that will have far-reaching impacts on how the courts identify family violence, protect survivors, and ensure the best interests of children. We’re thrilled that the Court adopted many of our arguments that we set out alongside our friends … Read more Victory for survivors of family violence
