VANCOUVER — Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, BC's Representative for Children and Youth, will discuss publicly the preliminary findings relating to an upcoming report examining the relationship between youth in care and the justice system. She will be speaking at a public forum, Voices on Youth Justice, presented by the Law Society of BC this Wednesday.
Gordon Cruse, retired youth corrections officer and author of Juvie: Inside Canada's Youth Jails, will share with the forum audience his observations about restorative justice. Now retired, he worked at Victoria’s youth custody centre and dealt with all the teenagers who were swept up in the Reena Virk murder case. He is closely watching Kelly Ellard’s request for a fourth trial.
Judge Nancy Phillips is responsible for the judicial administration of the Youth Court at Robson Square in Vancouver. She will share her views on sentencing in youth matters.
Voices on Youth Justice begins at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, June 25 at the Law Society Building atrium at 845 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC. Journalists are welcome.
The forum is put on in partnership with the Society for Children and Youth of BC, First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition and the Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks.
The Law Society of BC was founded in 1869 and is the governing body of the legal profession in BC. Under the provisions of the Legal Profession Act, the Law Society is responsible for the licensing, professional conduct and discipline of the more than 11,000 lawyers in BC.
Law Society of BC media contacts:
Dana Bales, Communications Officer
604-443-5708 or cell 604-836-3257
Email: dbales@lsbc.org
Cara McGregor, Communications Officer
604-697-5829 or 1-800-903-5300 toll-free in BC
Email: cmcgregor@lsbc.org