West Coast LEAF has joined the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) and Pivot Legal Society in calling on the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner to review a recent decision by the Vancouver Police Board regarding the surveillance of Charter-protected protests supporting Palestinian people’s rights. In our letter to the OPCC, we share the BCCLA … Read more Letter to OPCC calling for review of Vancouver Police Board decision on surveillance of Palestinian solidarity protests
West Coast LEAF has written a letter to the BC Chief Coroner’s office calling for an inquest into the femicide of Bailey McCourt, who was violently killed by her estranged husband, and urging them to establish a standing Gender-Based Violence Death Review Committee. There is a strong public interest in holding an inquest into Ms. … Read more Letter to the Chief Coroner on Inquests into Intimate Partner Violence
Open letter urges MCFD to address rights-violating disclosure practices in CFCSA proceedings…
In a joint submission to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, West Coast LEAF and the Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity (CGSHE) are urging the committee to reject Bill S-210: An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material. Bill S-210 neglects to meaningfully consult with online … Read more Joint submission to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on Bill S-210
The FLA builds off the 1979 Family Relations Act and is BC’s primary legislation on issues related to family relationships…
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
West Coast LEAF, alongside other legal advocates, impacted parents, and front-line family support organizations, has written a letter to the Premier and Minister of Child and Family Development to voice serious concerns about amendments made to Ministry of Child and Family Development’s (MCFD’s) Out-of-Care Policy. In the fall of 2023, MCFD amended its Out-of-Care Policy … Read more Open letter on changes to MCFD’s Out-of-Care Policy on Extended Family Program Agreements
West Coast LEAF, alongside Rise Women’s Legal Centre, has made a submission to the Department of Justice as it considers establishing a new Criminal Code offence for coercive control in the context of intimate relationships. Coercive control is a form of non-physical abuse or violence that uses psychological intimidation, threats, humiliation, financial or property abuse, … Read more Joint submission on the potential criminalization of coercive control
West Coast LEAF and Parents Advocating Collecting for Kin (PACK) are joined by leading BC rights organizations and advocates to call on the BC government to immediately end the harmful and discriminatory practice of involuntarily drug testing parents who are engaged with the family policing system, also known as the child welfare system. Involuntary drug … Read more Open letter calling for an end to harmful involuntary drug testing of parents
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…
