VANCOUVER – Today, an historic legal challenge to the use of solitary confinement in Canada’s federal prisons goes to trial at the BC Supreme Court. The equality rights organization West Coast LEAF (Women’s Legal Education & Action Fund) will be in Court to argue that solitary confinement causes specific and severe harms to women inmates. The case … Read more Release: Women’s equality experts intervene in lawsuit over solitary confinement
The project aims to identify strategies to reduce barriers in the justice system for sexual assault survivors through dialogue among key…
May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOT), an important occasion to check in with ourselves here at West Coast LEAF about how consistently and effectively we are challenging these oppressions every day in our work. In September 2018, West Coast LEAF announced our expanded mandate to work towards justice and equality for all people … Read more More than a rainbow sticker
About the resource This plain language legal guide was developed for youth as part of our Legal Responses to Cyber Misogyny project. It explains what the law says about five common online situations that young people may experience. Is That Legal? was originally published in June 2014, and we were delighted to have the opportunity to create a thoroughly revised … Read more Is That Legal? revised edition – now multilingual!
In March 2018, West Coast LEAF submitted recommendations on BC’s Poverty Reduction Strategy to the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. We highlighted the need for an intersectional gender analysis for all policies, legislation, and decision-making to address poverty, and for inter-ministerial collaboration and a whole-of-government approach to tackling this issue. We made specific … Read more Submissions on BC’s Poverty Reduction Strategy
Case summary Schrenk v British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal is a case about the scope of discrimination regarding employment in British Columbia’s Human Rights Code. Specifically, the Supreme Court of Canada considered whether protection from discrimination in the workplace applies only where the wrongdoer is someone in a position of power or authority over the complainant and … Read more Schrenk v British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal [2017]
In February 2017, West Coast LEAF’s Executive Director Kasari Govender traveled to Ottawa to appear before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. Download a complete transcript of her presentation on legal aid, including the question and answer period. The audio of the session can also be streamed here. Submissions
In February 2017, West Coast LEAF wrote to the Standing Committee on Children and Youth to recommend maintaining the Representative for Children and Youth’s statutory oversight of the child protection system. Read our full submission. (PDF, 304 KB) Submissions
A coalition of feminist organizations committed to ending violence against women offers support to the complainant at the conclusion of the retrial of sexual assault charges against the accused, Alexander Wagar. Mr. Wagar’s criminal case came to international attention due to the conduct of the first judge who heard the case, Justice Robin Camp. Mr. … Read more Release: Feminist coalition responds to verdict in Wagar retrial for sexual assault
Read our 2016 Annual Report. to learn about West Coast LEAF’s work for gender justice in the 2015/2016 fiscal year. Publications
