The Canadian Bar Association has just filed a case in BC Supreme Court seeking a constitutional right to civil legal aid services. The CBA will argue that the federal and provincial governments must provide legal aid services to people who cannot afford legal help when faced with disputes involving poverty, immigration and refugee, and family law. The case, which was launched in Vancouver on June 20, 2005, is the first of its kind in Canada.
The BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre commends the CBA for standing up for the rights of people who cannot afford legal services when fundamental rights are at stake. BCPIAC lawyers plan to apply to the Court to intervene on behalf of several anti-poverty organizations in the CBA’s case.
For more information about the case, please visit the CBA’s website at www.cba.org.