British Columbians are invited to provide their thoughts on proposed amendments to the Court of Appeal rules and civil forms, as the Province works to streamline court processes and improve access to justice.

The proposed amendments include updating the rules to give further clarity on the Court of Appeal Act. The language will also be updated to align with the act and simplified to make instructions and procedures easier to follow.

At the same time, the Province is also looking to redesign the forms that are used during the Court of Appeal process to make them easier to complete. This includes preparing the forms for future electronic filing options.

These proposed changes will help to make the process of filing an appeal easier to understand and more efficient for lawyers and people who are self-represented.

The consultation will run until Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, at 4 p.m.

To read the white paper and provide input, visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/consultation/amendments-to-the-court-of-appeal-rules/

Quick Facts:

• In 2019, the Ministry of Attorney General conducted public consultation on proposed amendments to the Court of Appeal Act and Court of Appeal rules.
• The feedback from this consultation was integrated into the Court of Appeal Act through amendments that were introduced in March 2021.
• The amended act will come into force when the updated rules are finalized.