More help is on the way for southern Vancouver Island residents who need assistance with family and civil legal matters, Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond announced today.

The government of B.C. is investing approximately $1.5 million to develop a Justice Access Centre (JAC) at the Victoria courthouse. Work on the former land titles office will begin in November 2012 and it's expected to be ready to open in the fall of 2013.

The Victoria JAC is the third centre of its kind in B.C. - the others are located in Nanaimo and Vancouver.

Justice Access Centres provide a single front door to the justice system for people with family and civil law problems, such as separation and divorce, housing, income assistance and employment. Centre staff can help people who are pursuing court or tribunal actions navigate the justice system by providing them with information and simplifying the process. It is anticipated many clients will be vulnerable families.

Supporting vulnerable families is one of the three pillars in the Families First Agenda for British Columbians, announced by Premier Christy Clark last month. Services available through Justice Access Centres also contribute to reducing the number of cases that go to courts as clients can find alternatives to solving their problems by using services at the centre.

The creation of the Victoria Justice Access Centre builds on the knowledge and expertise gained through the Nanaimo and Vancouver Justice Access Centres. While services for the new centre will be gradually phased in, initially the centre will include all the services of a family justice centre, such as family justice counselling, mediation, parent education and other resources for families experiencing problems.

Like the Nanaimo and Vancouver Justice Access Centres, which have a number of important legal partners, the Legal Services Society will provide legal advice and the Access Pro Bono Society will provide information through legal clinics at the Victoria Justice Access Centre.

A unique aspect of the Victoria JAC is the co-location of the University of Victoria's Law Centre, with funding from the Law Foundation. The Law Centre is operated by the Faculty of Law. Each year it provides legal advice, assistance and representation to almost 2000 people who cannot afford lawyers. The co-location will present opportunities for service collaboration.

The Justice Access Centres focus on early resolution mirrors the recommendations of the reports released last week by government and prepared by the Legal Services Society and Geoffrey Cowper, QC, in his report, A Criminal Justice System for the 21st Century.

Renovations to this government-owned building are being funded from a capital budget held centrally by Shared Services BC on behalf of all provincial ministries.

Quotes:

Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond -

"Justice Access Centres are part of our government's strategy to divert disputes out of courtrooms. Our experiences with the centres in Nanaimo and Vancouver have shown us that giving families quicker, affordable legal solutions can significantly reduce the need to go to court."

"We know stable, safe communities rely upon strong families as their foundation. We want south Island families to know help is available if they have legal or related issues that they need to discuss with a lawyer or family justice counsellor."

Donna Greschner, dean, University of Victoria faculty of law -

"The faculty is delighted that its outstanding legal clinic, the Law Centre, will be co-located with the new Victoria JAC. Our law students will benefit from collaboration with other legal professionals and close proximity to the courthouse. The co-location will enhance their legal education and the services they offer to the public."

Margaret Sasges, chair, Law Foundation -

"The Law Foundation of British Columbia is pleased to continue its ongoing and longstanding support for the Law Centre. We are very happy to be able to collaborate with other justice system partners to help create this unique opportunity for the people of Victoria to be better served as they deal with their legal issues."

Jamie Maclaren, executive director, Access Pro Bono Society -

"We employ a community-based model to deliver free legal services to low-income British Columbians with pressing legal needs. We view Justice Access Centres as an extension of this model and we value the opportunity to work alongside government and other service partners in meeting client needs."

Quick Facts:

• Justice Access Centres (JACs) served more than 20,000 new clients between November 2010 and February 2012, with many attending multiple times for help with ongoing issues.
• Only one-third of Vancouver Justice Access Centre clients proceed to court, most often because the other party or the court initiated proceedings. Of those, a majority were better prepared and cases progressed more smoothly.
• Approximately 75 per cent of clients come to JACs with family problems - however, the number of clients attending with civil problems is increasing.
• The University of Victoria Law Centre, which will be co-locating at the Victoria JAC, provides law students with clinical legal education. Students are trained and supervised in the conduct of legal matters by faculty members and volunteers from the local bar. It handles a wide variety of criminal and civil cases for Victoria residents who cannot afford lawyers.
• Every year, family civil law cases make up about 25 per cent of litigation files in B.C. Supreme Court (about 13,000 new files in 2009), with Provincial Court hearing up to 13,000 new cases.
• While JAC services include assistance with civil justice issues, a new resource will be available soon to assist families and small business owners: Canada's first-ever 24/7 online civil dispute resolution tribunal. Recently passed legislation, to establish the online tribunal for strata and small claims disputes is expected to be in effect in fall 2013. Tribunals were identified as a simple, less expensive solution to easing pressures in the court system in the February 2012 Green Paper, Modernizing British Columbia's Justice System.

Learn More:

Vancouver and Nanaimo Justice Access Centres: www.ag.gov.bc.ca/justice-access-centre

Family Justice Counsellors: www.ag.gov.bc.ca/family-justice/help/counsellors/index.htm

Family Law Act: www.ag.gov.bc.ca/legislation/family-law/index.htm

Civil Resolution Tribunal Act:

www.ag.gov.bc.ca/legislation/civil-resolution-tribunal-act/index.htm

Legal Services Society: www.lss.bc.ca

Access Pro Bono Society: http://accessprobono.ca

University of Victoria Law Centre: http://thelawcentre.ca

The Law Foundation: www.lawfoundationbc.org

Cowper Report: www.ag.gov.bc.ca/justice-reform/pdf/CowperFinalReport.pdf

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Lauren Mulholland
Communications
Ministry of Justice
250 387-4961
250 889-3922 (cell)

BACKGROUNDER

Sept. 6, 2012 Ministry of Justice

Justice Access Centres

• The government opened Justice Access Centres in Nanaimo in 2008 and Vancouver in 2010.
• The Nanaimo Justice Access Centre (JAC) opened October 2008. It has 11 ministry employees and an annual budget of just under $800,000.
• The Vancouver JAC opened July 2010. It has 17.5 ministry employees and an annual budget of $1.2 million.
• The Vancouver JAC also offers self-help information services for unrepresented B.C. Supreme Court family and civil law litigants.
• A number of agencies, such as Access Pro Bono, the Credit Counselling Society and Mediate BC, are working with the ministry to provide services at the JACs.
• JAC staff meet with clients to discuss legal options, make referrals and deal with urgent issues, such as family violence or evictions.
• A majority of clients indicate that JAC staff helped them clarify their specific legal problems.
• JAC staff can help with understanding court forms, preparing for court, mediating family or civil disputes or enforcing spousal and child support agreements under the government of B.C.'s Family Maintenance Enforcement Program.
• Referrals are available for financial, housing, employment, immigration and other problems that often accompany legal issues.
• The Legal Services Society funds family lawyers to provide limited legal advice.
• Brief legal advice for civil matters is offered by lawyers from Access Pro Bono, a non-profit society that represents lower-income clients and charitable or non-profit organizations in court.
• The centres also have computer kiosks and resource libraries for clients' use.
• Clients can drop in or make an appointment. For the Nanaimo JAC, call: 250 741-5447 or toll-free at: 1 800 578-8511. For Vancouver JAC, call: 604 660-2084.

Contact:

Lauren Mulholland
Communications
Ministry of Justice
250 387-4961
250 889-3922 (cell)