Law Society and Law Foundation to provide funding for Access to Justice BC

Vancouver, March 21, 2017 – The Law Society of BC and the Law Foundation of BC have agreed to co-fund a grant to Access to Justice BC, a collaboration of key stakeholders in the justice system. The agreement will see each organization provide $150,000 over three years.

Access to Justice BC is chaired by Chief Justice Robert Bauman and currently includes 30 members representing a broad cross-section of stakeholders in the justice system.

“Access to justice needs to be embraced as a movement,” says Chief Justice Bauman. “Access to Justice BC is not about supporting a prescribed set of actions or an intellectual concept; the aim is to bring about a culture shift by aligning justice system stakeholders in taking user-centred, collaborative, and evidence-based approaches to access to justice innovation. It is about producing the kind of collective impact that will transform users’ experiences with the justice system. This critical funding will help provide the infrastructure needed to support our movement.”

The Law Society and the Law Foundation were among the founding members of Access to Justice BC when it was created in 2014 to serve as a platform enabling organizations to work collaboratively to improve access to civil and family justice in BC.

“The Law Society has a deep commitment to improving access to justice for British Columbians, because it is a fundamental pillar for upholding the rule of law. The work of Access to Justice BC is critical as it brings together many stakeholders to work collaboratively to tackle the challenges we face,” says Herman Van Ommen, QC, president of the Law Society. “Through its efforts we are better able to share ideas and allocate scarce resources efficiently, and the spirit of collaboration recognizes that overcoming the challenges we face is a shared societal responsibility.”

“The Law Foundation continues to be proud to support this unique collaborative effort of justice system partners. The work of Access to Justice BC supports the Law Foundation’s vision of a society where access to justice is protected and advanced. We look forward to working with Access to Justice BC in the coming years to promote a just society governed by the rule of law,” adds Law Foundation Chair Eileen Vanderburgh.

In its first two years, Access to Justice BC identified family law and Indigenous law as priorities. It has reached the point in its efforts where it needs support to build out its infrastructure. The funding will help support a strategic coordinator position, and modest infrastructure tools.

About the Law Society

The Law Society’s statutory object and duty is to uphold and protect the public interest in the administration of justice by, among other things, preserving and protecting the rights and freedoms of all persons.

About the Law Foundation

The Law Foundation’s statutory mandate is to receive the interest on lawyers’ pooled trust accounts and to fund legal education, law reform, legal research, legal aid and law libraries for the benefit of British Columbians.