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Part 1 – Mission and Ends
A. Mission
The principal aim of the Law Society of British Columbia is a public well-served by a competent, honourable and independent legal profession. The secondary aim is the promotion and protection of lawyers' interests provided it does not derogate from the principal aim. [10/1994]
B. Ends
1. Lawyers are qualified on entry to the profession.
(a) Applicants possess the knowledge, skills and attitude required to provide legal services competently and are of good character, repute and fitness.
(b) The knowledge, skills and attitude required to become qualified are articulated. [03/1994; 09/1994]
2. Lawyers provide legal services competently after call to the bar.
(a) Lawyers take primary responsibility for maintaining their own competence.
(b) Post-call legal education that is relevant and of appropriate quality is available and voluntarily consumed.
(c) Resources provided by the Law Society are available to lawyers to assist them in maintaining competence, including personal counselling, loss prevention resources and practice management resources.
(d) Complaints about incompetent practice are responded to promptly.
(e) Incompetent lawyers become competent in the legal services they provide.
i) Incompetent lawyers who pose a danger to present or future clients are restricted from practising.
ii) Lawyers whose competency is in question are assisted in achieving competence in the services they provide. [03/1994; 09/1994; 10/1994; 09/1998]
3. The legal profession is independent of government.
(a) The Law Society is free from interference by government in the governance of the profession. [03/1994; 07/1995]
4. Lawyers represent the interests of all clients without fear of reprisal or expectation of favour. [07/1995]
5. The public has financial security in transactions with lawyers (liability insurance and Special Compensation Fund).
(a) The public is reasonably and fairly compensated for pecuniary losses resulting from lawyers misappropriating or wrongfully converting money or other property received in a lawyer's capacity as a barrister and solicitor, according to the Legal Profession Act. [03/1994; 02/2000]
6. Lawyers are honest and ethical. [03/1994]
7. Complaints about lawyers are handled fairly and in a timely fashion. [03/1994]
8. A just and equitable legal system is promoted. [03/1994]
9. The public is protected from the unauthorized practice of law and from inadequately trained and unqualified persons offering legal services. [04/1994; 01/1996]
10. The public has confidence in the legal profession.
(a) The public, government and the media understand that lawyers must meet standards for ethics, practice and financial responsibility set and enforced by the Law Society as a regulatory body.
(b) The public, government and the media have confidence that lawyers are honest, ethical and competent and that the Law Society does a good job regulating the profession.
(c) The public, government and the media act in a manner consistent with confidence in the legal profession. In particular:
i) Members of the public willingly use lawyers' services.
ii) Members of the public willingly come to the Law Society to handle problems with lawyers.
iii) The media give the Law Society fair treatment in stories about the legal profession or the legal system.
iv) Government consults with the Law Society before enacting legislation that impacts on the legal profession and is responsive to Law Society requests for legislative change. [05/1995]
11. The Law Society is a model employer that values equity and diversity and maximizes the potential opportunity of all employees. [07/1998]
12. The Law Society is a business organization that values the principles of equity, diversity, accessibility and inclusiveness, which includes planning for and providing:
(a) external programs and services, property and facility operations, information technology services and communications programs; and
(b) internal financial process, records management, strategic direction, information technology services, Bencher advice/support and communications programs;
in accordance with those principles. [05/1999]
13. In its regulation of the legal profession the Law Society demonstrates its commitment to principles of equity, diversity, accessibility and inclusiveness including adherence to those principles in developing:
(a) regulatory policy and internal processes and procedures governing the handling of applications, complaints and regulatory proceedings; and
(b) appropriate processes and procedures governing the conduct of regulatory proceedings an the rendering of decisions and reports resulting from those proceedings. [12/2001]
Part 2 – Executive Limitations
Back to Governance Policies
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