Ottawa, ON – Tomorrow, on November 4, the Supreme Court of Canada will hear arguments in a family law case from Ontario that will significantly affect women and children’s poverty. LEAF and West Coast LEAF will be intervening in the appeal to highlight the reality that child support in Canada is chronically underpaid and overwhelmingly gendered. LEAF and West Coast … Read more Release: Supreme Court to decide case on child support orders with critical impacts on women and children’s poverty
VANCOUVER – On September 10, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) released judgments in two cases concerning the interpretation of Ontario’s anti-Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) laws; on which BC’s Protection of Public Participation Act is modeled. In response to the decisions, the anti-violence sector urges the Supreme Court to centre the voices of survivors of … Read more Release: Supreme Court of Canada’s anti-SLAPP judgments endanger survivors of gender-based violence
In June 2020, West Coast LEAF made submissions to the budget consultations held by the government of BC Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. We urged the committee to keep front of mind the following fact: if we do not urgently scale up efforts to combat gender inequality, we will see long-term and major … Read more Submission to the BC Budget 2020 consultations
VANCOUVER, UNCEDED COAST SALISH HOMELANDS – Today, West Coast LEAF released a report card assessing the BC government’s recent progress on gender equality and human rights. While recognizing that BC has taken some steps in the right direction between December 2018 and early April 2020, the BC Gender Equality Report Card also finds that many of these … Read more Release: BC Gender Equality Report Card reveals areas of progress and areas of serious concern
The BC Gender Equality Report Card 2019/2020 assesses the BC government’s progress in advancing human rights and gender justice…
On May 27, we will launch our Gender Equality Report Card. We are excited to share this report assessing what the BC government has done—or failed to do—to advance gender justice and human rights between December 2018 and early April 2020. This year’s report builds on the work we have been doing over the last … Read more Meet the Report Card Partners
For survivors of sexual assault navigating the criminal legal system, the disclosure of private records and introduction of evidence about their sexual history can be a devastating intrusion. Concerns about this type of intrusion can also be a major barrier to reporting sexual assault or accessing counselling and other support services. In March 2020, as … Read more A toolkit for navigating section 276 and 278 Criminal Code matters as complainant counsel in criminal proceedings
VANCOUVER – Today, West Coast LEAF launched a toolkit for navigating the admissibility of evidence of a survivor’s sexual activity and the production of third-party records in criminal proceedings. Designed for lawyers representing survivors, the toolkit addresses section 276 and 278 Criminal Code matters. It provides an overview of the evolution of this area of law, practical advice for advancing … Read more Release: Survivors of sexual assault will be supported by a new legal toolkit to protect against invasive disclosure of private records and sexual history
While settling into work-and-do-everything-else-from-home mode, I’m thinking about those who must leave their homes and brave uncertain and potentially hostile terrain to secure safety and freedom from violence. Refugees are among those hardest hit by global crises – COVID-19 is no exception. At the time I write this, the border between Canada and the United States … Read more Refugee Rights are Human Rights: The United States is no safe country for refugee survivors of gender-based violence
In January 2020, West Coast LEAF added our voice to the call by Sanctuary City Vancouver and many other groups to end the three-month waiting period to access health care for people entering or returning to Canada. Read our letter to the BC Ministry of Health Medical Services Commission. Submissions
