In December 2019, West Coast LEAF and Rise Women’s Legal Centre collaborated to respond to the BC government’s request for input about proposed new Provincial Court Family Rules. We urged the government to adopt a framework that would take into account the realities of gender-based violence and reduce barriers in access to justice. We also made the … Read more Submission on Provincial Court Family Rules
In September 2018, West Coast LEAF submitted a briefing note on Bill C-78 to ensure that proposed changes to the Divorce Act fulfill the stated goals of “promoting the best interests of the child, addressing family violence, reducing child poverty, and making Canada’s justice system more accessible and efficient” and avoid unintended and harmful consequences. … Read more Briefing Note on Divorce Act Amendments
West Coast LEAF wrote to the Mayor and Council of the City of Vancouver in support of a motion to investigate pervasive sexual harassment and sexual assault in the hospitality industry and identify steps the City can take to promote safer workplaces. Read our letter. Submissions
In 2019, we prepared a backgrounder comparing pay equity regimes across Canada, including indicators of success and a comparative table summarizing findings. Read our backgrounder. Submissions
Commencing in 2016, West Coast LEAF partnered with the YWCA-Metro Vancouver on a project aimed at identifying strategies to reduce barriers in the justice system for sexual assault survivors through dialogue among key stakeholders, including frontline anti-violence activists and service providers, police, former Crown, retired judges, academics, and defense counsel. In fall 2018, we released We Are Here: Women’s Experiences … Read more Letter urging BC to invest in a rights-based framework for survivors of sexual assault
In June 2019, West Coast LEAF made submissions to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services urging the government of BC to commit in Budget 2020 to making financial supports more accessible for families dealing with the child protection system and those in informal kinship care arrangements. Read our submissions. Submissions
On June 26, 2019, the Province announced a 10-year strategy to transform our mental health and addictions system. The investment in voluntary, community-based mental health and addiction services is welcome news. Unfortunately, “A Pathway to Hope” does nothing to address ways to reform the outdated law at the heart of the system. In an open … Read more Open letter urging the Province to overhaul the outdated BC Mental Health Act
In June 2019, West Coast LEAF, EVA BC and Surrey Women’s Centre wrote to the Attorney General of BC to call for adequate legal aid for anti-violence organizations facing applications to disclose client counselling records to defense counsel as part of sexual assault cases. As it stands now, anti-violence organizations with very limited budgets are being forced to cover … Read more Letter calling for legal aid for anti-violence organizations protecting clients’ counselling records
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…