BC Gov News

Balance ministry budget:

• The ministry is monitoring and all efforts are being made to balance the budget.

Complete Justice Reform Agenda as envisioned in the Cowper reports and subsequent white papers:

• Held two Justice Summits with justice partners.
• Passed and brought into force legislation (Justice Reform and Transparency Act) that supports justice system reform and transparency.
• Created a Justice and Public Safety Council (JPSC) responsible for setting strategic vision for the justice system and which will enable justice partners to work more collaboratively together. 
• Signed an MOU with the Office of the Chief Judge to work together on two court backlog reduction projects - government is cautiously optimistic that the projects, scheduled for completion in spring 2014, will be a success. 
• Developed a strategic information technology plan that supports and will enable the Justice Transformation Plan.
• Developing reliable, consistent and automated data related to the charge approval process in criminal cases. 
• Established an executive working group to conduct research into, and consider best practices for the largest of the criminal cases proceeding through the justice system.

Consult with the Canadian Bar Association and transfer of administrative penalties and traffic tickets to administrative tribunals such as the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT):

• Appointed Cheryl Vickers as the acting chair of the CRT. She, along with a dedicated team in the CRT office, has been doing the foundational work required to get the Civil Resolution Tribunal up-and-running. She continues to lead consultations and the development of the tribunal's processes, rules and technology.
• Government is investing in user-focused technology supports to enable tribunals to reduce costs, complexity and delays for users.
  

Tribunal Transformation:

• The B.C. government is focused on providing timely and accessible justice - and Tribunal Transformation is an important part of that. This is an innovative approach will help save taxpayers money and time.
• Proposed amendments to the Administrative Tribunals Act, the Residential Tenancy Act and various other administrative justice statutes will enable the transformation and clustering of British Columbia's 27 administrative tribunals.
• Government is committed to moving forward with Tribunal Transformation while protecting the legislative mandates of each tribunal.

Open a new Justice Access Centre (JAC) in Victoria in 2013:

• The Victoria JAC was officially opened on Oct. 24, 2013.
• JACs are one-stop centres for people seeking assistance with family and civil problems, such as separation and divorce, housing, income assistance and employment disputes.

Work with the Legal Services Society to expand criminal and family legal aid services:

• An announcement is expected in spring 2014 which follows on work ministry staff have done with Legal Services Society.

Complete your ministry's long-term plan to improve courtroom capacity and access to justice for residents in the Lower Fraser Valley:

• The Lower Fraser Valley Regional Plan: Court Capacity Expansion project was released on Feb. 5, 2014.
• The long-term court expansion plan is projected to require up to 29 additional courtrooms by 2033.
• Developed by the five municipalities in the region, the plan forecasts the need for additional courtroom capacity in Surrey, Abbotsford, Langley and Chilliwack as part of an overall plan to improve access to justice in one of the fastest growing regions in the province.

Ensure maximum benefit from extending B.C.'s Guns and Gangs Strategy:

• B.C. has put $22 million a year into its anti-gang strategy and keeping dedicated anti-gang officers on the streets.
• Investigations by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) - the Province's anti-gang agency - have resulted in seizures of large quantities of drugs and firearms.
• The ministry is working with police and other stakeholders to address gang recruitment and violence throughout B.C., by developing new, evidence-based approaches and building on existing strategies.

Define policing responsibilities and improving police integration:

• In 2012, the Province began a consultation and engagement process to develop a multi-year, strategic plan for policing. The final BC Policing and Community Safety Plan was released at the end of 2013.
• Action items in the plan focus on modernizing B.C.'s policing and law enforcement framework over the next three, five and 10 years. Notable progress to date includes:
• The announcement in November 2013 of a multi-year, expert-led process to examine how policing is currently funded and structured, to better define funding responsibilities at each level of government, and to lay the groundwork for exploring new service delivery models.
• The appointment in September 2013 of a blue-ribbon panel that is now meeting to examine existing crime-reduction initiatives and research from other Canadian provinces and other countries. Regional roundtable consultation sessions with stakeholders will follow in 2014.
• Government is proposing a complete review of the Police Act in 2015.

Expand domestic violence units (DVUs):

• In November 2013, government announced that up to $1 million in civil forfeiture grant funds will be shared by projects that focus on the development and enhancement of DVUs, youth crime prevention and the sexual exploitation and human trafficking of vulnerable girls and women. All grants will be announced by the end of March 2014.
• DVUs are currently operational in Abbotsford, New Westminster, Vancouver and Greater Victoria (the Capital Region).
• Through a collaborative partnership, this model brings together police, community-based victim services and, in some communities, child protection workers to improve co-ordination and collaboration in the highest risk cases.
• Government continues working with partners, including the RCMP, to develop DVUs in communities throughout the province.

Complete construction of Okanagan Correctional Centre on time and on budget:

• In January 2014, government announced the preferred proponent selected through the Request for Proposal process, Plenary Justice.
• Construction is scheduled to begin in April, with completion projected to be on schedule in 2016.

Continue the work underway to consider implementation of the recommendations of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry (MWCI):

• In November 2013, government released a status report and announced work is underway on behalf of the MWCI recommendations directed at the Province.
• B.C. also announced a multi-year, expert-led process to examine how policing is funded and structured, to better define funding responsibilities at each level of government and lay the groundwork for exploring new service delivery models.
• Pursuant to the MWCI recommendations, an analysis is underway of missing persons legislation in other jurisdictions and an exploration of options for B.C.

Consult on modernizing liquor legislation and regulations and bring forward options for reform:

• On Jan. 31, 2014, government released Parliamentary Secretary John Yap's final report and announced its full support for all his 73 recommendations, which will:
• Encourage the growth of small businesses and B.C.'s economy.
• Address calls for convenience by consumers.
• Continue to safeguard health and public safety.
• These recommendations stem from extensive stakeholder consultations and one of the B.C. government's most successful public engagements.

Consider options to convert the Liquor Distribution Branch into either a Crown agency or corporation:

• Policy work continues on governance models.

Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton's mandate letter: http://www.gov.bc.ca/premier/cabinet_ministers/suzanne_anton_mandate_letter.pdf

Media Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Justice
250 213-3602