2019

The Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch (CBABC) is very pleased to announce Kerry L. Simmons, QC as its new Executive Director. Ms. Simmons assumes the role effective immediately, after serving as acting Executive Director since late last year.

The Law Foundation of British Columbia, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch (CBABC) and People’s Law School are pleased to announce Dial-A-Law is now available through the People’s Law School. In 1983, CBABC identified a need for public access to legal information on a variety of law topics. With funding from the Law Foundation of British Columbia, CBABC initiated Dial-A-Law, featuring over 125 scripts of legal information written and edited by volunteer lawyers in British Columbia.

“We are pleased to welcome the report’s recommendations for meaningful change to legal aid in British Columbia,” said CBABC President Margaret A. Mereigh. “Recommendation 1 endorses the Canadian Bar Association’s proposal for national benchmarks, set in 2016, for integrated public legal assistance services that are sustainably funded, evidence-based and people-centred.”

“We are disappointed that today’s budget announcement, Making Life Better, overlooks additional funding for legal aid,” said Margaret A. Mereigh, CBABC President. “There are real families all over the province desperate for this public service, but they don’t have access due to lack of government investment."