Updates & Press

Release: Advocates call for people on social assistance to have equal autonomy in their relationships

26/09/2016Access to justice, Economic security Press

VANCOUVER – West Coast LEAF is calling on the BC government to amend the law to ensure that the people living in poverty have equal freedom to choose when they are financially dependent on another person. West Coast LEAF is recommending amendments to BC’s Employment and Assistance Act and Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act that will … Read more Release: Advocates call for people on social assistance to have equal autonomy in their relationships

Release: Coalition calls federal plan for national inquiry too vague

03/08/2016Access to justice, Gender-based violence Press

Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, B.C. – Today a Coalition on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls responded to the Federal Government’s announcement of the national Inquiry. The Federal Government has released the names of the Commissioners and the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Inquiry. The Coalition continues to demand justice for missing and murdered … Read more Release: Coalition calls federal plan for national inquiry too vague

Release: Federal inquiry into missing, murdered Indigenous women lacks provincial commitment

03/08/2016Access to justice, Gender-based violence Press

VANCOUVER – Today, West Coast LEAF calls on all levels of government to commit to addressing violence against Indigenous women and girls through a robust, effective national inquiry. Following decades of advocacy by Indigenous and women’s activists, the federal government finally committed to an Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada. Earlier … Read more Release: Federal inquiry into missing, murdered Indigenous women lacks provincial commitment

Release: New report finds that inadequate child care violates the rights of BC women and children

12/07/2016Access to justice, Economic security, Family well-being Press

Vancouver – On July 12, 2016 West Coast LEAF will release a new report entitled High Stakes: The impacts of child care on the human rights of women and children. The report concludes that the rights of women and children are being violated in complex and wide-ranging ways as a result of the shortage of affordable, … Read more Release: New report finds that inadequate child care violates the rights of BC women and children

Release: Coalition intervenes in inquiry into judge’s conduct during sexual assault trial

11/07/2016Gender-based violence Press

VANCOUVER – Today, a national coalition of women’s organizations including West Coast LEAF was granted intervener status in the inquiry into the conduct of Justice Robin Camp while he presided over a sexual assault trial in Alberta in 2014. Justice Camp asked the complainant, an Indigenous woman who was 19 years old and homeless at … Read more Release: Coalition intervenes in inquiry into judge’s conduct during sexual assault trial

Release: Coalition on violence against Indigenous women statement on the importance of full cooperation with the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

26/04/2016Access to justice, Gender-based violence Press

The Legal Strategy Coalition on Violence Against Indigenous Women has issued a press release to highlight its public statement urging full involvement of the provinces and territories in the national inquiry on missing and murdered Indigenous women. The participation of provincial and territorial governments is essential in order to ensure coordinated efforts in responding to and preventing … Read more Release: Coalition on violence against Indigenous women statement on the importance of full cooperation with the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Release: BC Court of Appeal rules in favour of protecting the safety of women

25/04/2016Gender-based violence Press

Vancouver – Today, the BC Court of Appeal (“BCCA”) rendered judgment in Scott v. College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia. In this case, the complainant alleged that her massage therapist engaged in sexual misconduct. The Court was called upon to determine how governing bodies of healthcare professionals may respond to such allegations in order to protect the … Read more Release: BC Court of Appeal rules in favour of protecting the safety of women

Release: Supreme Court of Canada strikes down mandatory minimum sentence for drug offence

15/04/2016Criminalization Press

VANCOUVER – In a ground-breaking judgment, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled today that mandatory minimum sentencing for certain drug offences violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This case challenged a section of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, which creates a mandatory minimum one year jail term for drug possession in certain situations. West Coast LEAF … Read more Release: Supreme Court of Canada strikes down mandatory minimum sentence for drug offence

Release: BC Court of Appeal to decide how healthcare governing bodies can protect the safety of women

04/01/2016Gender-based violence Press

VANCOUVER – Today, West Coast LEAF will be in BC Court of Appeal as an intervenor in College of Massage Therapists of BC v Scott. The case considers when and how the governing bodies of healthcare professions must act to protect the public in response to a complaint of sexual misconduct against a healthcare practitioner. The … Read more Release: BC Court of Appeal to decide how healthcare governing bodies can protect the safety of women

Release: BC Supreme Court sets aside decision to deny accreditation to Trinity Western law school for procedural reasons

10/12/2015Access to justice, Gender-based violence Press

VANCOUVER – Today, in Trinity Western University and Brayden Volkenant v. Law Society of British Columbia, the BC Supreme Court found that the Law Society of BC made procedural errors when it decided to deny the accreditation of a proposed law school at Trinity Western University. The Court set aside the Law Society’s decision finding that … Read more Release: BC Supreme Court sets aside decision to deny accreditation to Trinity Western law school for procedural reasons