Government introduced the attorney general statutes amendment act, 2025, to the legislative assembly on Monday, April 14, 2025.

If passed by the legislature, the amendments will affect the following provincial statutes:

Judicial Compensation Act:

Amendments to the Judicial Compensation Act will statutorily implement the 2022 Judicial Compensation Commission’s recommendation with respect to non-judicial pensionable-service provisions in the Judicial Compensation Act. This will ensure Provincial Court judges, who were public servants before being appointed to the bench, receive the same benefits for their non-judicial service as other Public Service Pension Plan members.

Land Title Act:

Amendments to the Land Title Act will clarify the Land Title Office’s ability to transfer a deceased person’s land to a special administrator appointed by the court. Appointing administrators is a standard procedure that allows administrators to temporarily manage an estate, while there are ongoing legal proceedings about a will or other special circumstances. The amendment specifically addresses the transfer or sale of land, which may be desirable to preserve the value of an estate.

Libel and Slander Act:

Amendments to the Libel and Slander Act will update the description of the court document used to initiate a legal action for libel.

Members Remuneration and Pensions Act:

Amendments to the Members Remuneration and Pensions Act will implement the March 2025 decision of the legislative assembly management committee to forgo the statutorily authorized increase to members of the legislative assembly’s remuneration for 2025.

Police Act:

Amendments to the Police Act will allow the appointment of an acting chief civilian director of the Independent Investigations Office in the event that the director is unable to fulfil their role. Amendments will also authorize the appointment of a deputy chief civilian director of the Independent Investigations Office, to whom the chief civilian director could delegate their powers and duties. These amendments will allow the Independent Investigations Office to reduce operational risks and help ensure investigations into incidents involving police officers are conducted proficiently, without unnecessary delays and with the ability to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.

Small Claims Act:

Housekeeping amendments to the Small Claims Act will remove an outdated reference to a provision that was repealed in the Civil Resolution Tribunal Act. The provision concerned a previous process where a Civil Resolution Tribunal decision could be made void, and the claim could be disputed in the Provincial Court. Regular housekeeping amendments, such as this, provide clarity and make legislation easier to understand.

Wills, Estates and Succession Act:

Amendments to the Wills, Estates and Succession Act will add First Home Savings Accounts to the definition of a benefit plan. This will allow people to name beneficiaries for these accounts, helping in their life planning by ensuring surviving beneficiaries can access First Home Savings Accounts efficiently, in the same way they can access other registered savings plans, such as Tax Free Savings Accounts.

The amendments will allow the government to quickly add new plans without needing to amend the legislation.

Learn More:

For more information about B.C. legislation, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/Legislation