News Release
June 23, 2017

Vancouver, June 23, 2017 – The Law Society is encouraged that the government now recognizes that a fairer, healthier society includes better access to legal advice and representation and welcomes the government’s commitment to increase legal aid funding by 25 per cent. 

As the Law Society noted in its recently published report A Vision for Publicly Funded Legal Aid in British Columbia, legal aid is an essential public service, and governments bear the responsibility to fund it to the degree necessary to achieve its purposes. Increased funding promised in the throne speech is a good start toward achieving that vision.

“Funding has always been, and remains, a critical issue for sustainable legal aid. Since the mid-1990s there has been a reduction in both provincial and federal spending on legal aid,” said Law Society President Herman Van Ommen, QC. “This funding increase is an important step in the right direction and we trust that this commitment will be honoured by whatever party eventually forms the BC government.”

The Law Society of British Columbia upholds and protects the public interest in the administration of justice by ensuring the independence, integrity and competence of lawyers, establishing education and professional development standards for lawyers, regulating the practice of law and preserving and protecting the rights and freedoms of all persons.

-30-

For further information contact:

Vinnie Yuen
Communications Officer
604.697.5836
vyuen@lsbc.org