On May 13, 2019, 25 organizations and individuals sent an open letter to Canadian government urging swift action to end sex discrimination in the Indian Act, as called for in a statement issued by the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls before the release of its final report. West Coast LEAF was … Read more Open letter on ending sex discrimination in the Indian Act
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…
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…
In BC, most applications for family law legal aid are denied outright or the legal support…
This case is about the ability of public interest organizations to challenge unconstitutional laws on behalf of community…
West Coast LEAF provided submissions as part of a public consultation process on modernizing the Employment Standards Act. We explained how gender-based discrimination results in particular difficulties in the labour force for women and gender and sexual minorities, and we called for legal protections to help ensure that people of all genders can participate in the … Read more Submissions regarding the Employment Standards Act
Today, the BC Human Rights Tribunal (“BCHRT”) released its decision on a complaint arising under the BC Human Rights Code’s (“the Code”) prohibition against discriminatory publications. The case, Oger v Whatcott, was heard in December 2018. The BCHRT found in favour of the complainant that Mr. Whatcott violated s. 7 of the Code and engaged in hate speech. In … Read more Release: BC Human Rights Tribunal: Hate speech on the basis of gender identity prohibited
In March 2019, West Coast LEAF submitted input as part of the consultation regarding a universal basic income in BC. We shared our analysis of the gendered dimensions of poverty and echoed the call of BC Poverty Reduction Coalition (of which we are a member) to implement a basic income framework only if it is grounded in … Read more Submission to the BC Basic Income Consultation
For decades, Indigenous advocates across Canada have been calling for changes to the child protection system…
This morning, West Coast LEAF is at the BC Supreme Court to defend our case against the Province of BC (“The Province”) and the Legal Services Society (“LSS”) for their failure to provide adequate family law legal aid for women fleeing violent relationships. West Coast LEAF brought the case on behalf of the Centre for Family Equity (CFE), … Read more Release: Advocacy group: Government is wrong to stand in the way of legal aid challenge