eNews: Law
The BC Provincial Court announced today that it has published an illustrated guide to the Court and the rule of law to help journalists and the public understand its work.
Until you’re confronted with a legal problem, you probably don’t pay too much attention to talk about access to justice. But legal issues are part of our everyday lives and we’re all likely to encounter them sooner or later. Starting a job, renting an apartment, paying bills, living common law or getting married, thinking about a will – these are all common events that affect our legal health.
In Canada, an accused in a criminal matter has the right to a trial in whichever of Canada’s two official languages is their language. The B.C. Provincial Court provides criminal trials in French or in both official languages for French-speaking accused persons. This week’s eNews explains the law governing French trials, and how they work in British Columbia.
Until recently, the law only permitted judges to consider victim impact statements submitted by individuals. But in July 2015, the federal government changed Canada's Criminal Code to allow judges to consider community impact statements when they are sentencing people for criminal offences.
Updated May 2021