eNews: Court
Posted online in December, the BC Provincial Court’s 2022/23 annual report has been praised as “fantastic” and “amazing”. Readers have said that it provides a succinct and comprehensive overview of the Court’s work while the photos, graphics, and design make it engaging and readable.
What does it take for the Court to produce a report like this?
An Indigenous man in his mid-fifties with a brain injury and a serious substance abuse history first appeared in New Westminster First Nations Court in April, 2021 on a break and enter charge. He was homeless and used heroin every day. His grandparents had attended residential schools. His mother had been adopted.
Three years ago this week, on December 11, 2020, the Williams Lake Indigenous Court held a “virtual soft opening” due to pandemic health measures. Provincial Court Chief Judge Melissa Gillespie spoke by video-conference, as did the BC premier, First Nations chiefs and elders, and community representatives.
The Law Society of BC is working with other groups to see whether access to justice can be improved by having non-lawyers provide competent and affordable legal services to people who aren’t otherwise getting legal help.
The BC Provincial Court now operates nine Indigenous sentencing courts in communities around the province. How do these courts get established?
It takes dedicated people and a lot of work!
Kamloops lawyer Graham Kay has been on development committees for several Indigenous courts. He describes the 4-year process to develop BC’s ninth criminal Indigenous court in Lillooet.