VICTORIA - Bill 33, the Justice Statutes Amendment Act, was introduced in the legislature today by Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond. If passed, the amendments will affect the following provincial statutes:

Court of Appeal Act - This amendment, requested by the Court of Appeal, will streamline leave to appeal applications to the Court of Appeal. Currently, applicants need to research prior decisions of the Court of Appeal to determine whether they have a right of appeal. The amendment will simplify this by allowing for a regulation to be enacted that will list specific orders that may not be appealed. This has the potential to reduce costs for applicants in those cases where, under the current law, the outcome of the leave application is uncertain.

Election Act - As requested by Elections BC's chief electoral officer (CEO), these amendments would remove the requirement for Elections BC to undertake door-to-door voter enumeration, saving approximately $25 million. The voters list is now more comprehensive and accurate than in the past as a result of continuous updates through online and phone registration; comparison with the national electors list; and data sharing with the BC Vital Statistics Agency and ICBC. The amendments would still permit the CEO to undertake targeted enumerations at his or her discretion.

Enforcement of Canadian Judgments and Decrees Act - Amendments will provide that a monetary or cost award made under a trade agreement, of which British Columbia is a party, would be enforceable in B.C. as if it were a judgment of the Supreme Court of B.C. if so required by the agreement.

Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act - Proposed changes will modernize the act, bringing it in line with other Canadian jurisdictions, and will enhance enforceability of B.C. orders registered in other jurisdictions, as well as reciprocal orders from other jurisdictions registered in B.C. These amendments will clarify that B.C. law is to be applied first as the Province's measures for child support already meet or exceed those of reciprocal partners.

Motor Vehicle Act - Five amendments will create a more convenient, customer-focused system for young drivers and those new to B.C., and will give ICBC more flexibility to respond to changing industry needs. These changes will improve driver experience with the licensing process and enhancing consumer protection within the driver training industry. One change will remove the need for an affidavit to verify parental consent when a minor applies for a driver's licence.

This will streamline the application process for new drivers and their parents by providing an alternate way of verifying parental signatures, similar to the process used for wills and passports.

Offence Act - Under the current act, ticket fines for violations under provincial statutes can have two different amounts, one if paid within 30 days, and another if paid after 30 days. This minor amendment to the language around these fines aligns it with current practices already in place, clarifying that these two fines do not need to be of differing amounts.

Media contacts:

Motor Vehicle Act
Ministry of Justice
250 356-6961

Court of Appeal Act, Election Act, Enforcement of Canadian Judgments and Decrees Act, Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act, Offence Act

Dave Townsend
Ministry of Justice
250 387-4962
250 889-5945 (cell)