Vancouver - The Law Society of British Columbia today welcomed the family and civil justice rule changes announced by BC's Attorney General, saying that it is hoped the measures will lead to improved access to justice in the province.
The changes, to take effect July 1, 2010, include reduced court and other administration fees and a range of new procedures both for initiating cases and responding to them.
"These reforms of civil procedure, although not radical, ought to promote more efficiency in the administration of justice, which is clearly in the public interest," said Law Society President Gordon Turriff, QC. "The new rules reflect an effort to find a balance on questions about which people could reasonably disagree.
"The Attorney General is to be congratulated for undertaking further consultation after the proposed reforms had come under attack in 2008," said Turriff. "It will take time to assess the effect the new rules will have. The Law Society is committed to assist in the evaluation process and in the development of a rules reform methodology that will yield a less controversial rules reform process when future changes are contemplated."
The Law Society of BC was incorporated in 1884 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 10,000 lawyers in BC.
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For further information please contact:
Cara McGregor, Communications Officer
604-697-5829
cmcgregor@lsbc.org