The most widely read magazine for Canadian lawyers
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50837
funding in the province plummeted to $74 million in 2008-09 from $96 million in 2001-02. The B.C. Legal Services Society was forced to shutter five regional offices last year and lay off more than 50 staff due to the short- fall. "The provinces have a significant responsibility here," says Comartin. "They're the deliverers and ultimately the ones responsible for it." Many attribute the legal aid funding crunch to the public's myopic view of the system, which governments have failed to temper. "It's an optics problem," says Anand. "When the government says, 'We're going to put more money into legal aid,' the first thing the public thinks is, 'Oh my god, we're going to be paying defence lawyers for people who are guilty?'" Governments have failed to explain their ethical and constitutional obligations to provide legal aid, says Anand. They also fail to highlight research showing legal aid spending saves money in the long run. A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers study in Australia, for example, found each dollar spent on family law cases offers a $2.25 value to the overall justice system. Lawyers in B.C. hope to correct the public's misperception through a series of public forums. The province's Public Commission on Legal Aid was struck and funded, to the tune of $200,000, by six legal organizations led by the CBA's B.C. branch. The Law Society of British Columbia, the Law Foundation of British Columbia, British Columbia Crown Counsel Association, Victoria Bar Association, and Vancouver Bar Association are also involved. Stephen McPhee, president of the CBA's B.C. branch and chairman of the commis- sion's steering committee, says the initia- tive aims to give the public a greater sense of ownership of the legal aid system. It will offer a forum for individuals to discuss their experiences with legal aid, which will help shape a final report with recom- mendations to improve the system. "We're asking the public what their priorities are; we're asking the public how legal aid should be delivered, what issues should qualify for legal aid," says McPhee. "We're sure that when we get that information and take it back to our stakeholders in the government, we're going to be given a platform to develop a better legal aid system in British Columbia." Last month, to raise awareness of the lack of legal aid, a group of lawyers hand- ed out free legal advice in Vancouver's Victory Square. The Pro Bono Going Public 2010 free legal advice event was presented by the Access Pro Bono Society of B.C. and sponsored by the CBA. Alberta, too, is tackling the issue. On June 23, the Law Society of Alberta held a special meeting for the purpose of dis- cussing controversial changes approved by the board of directors of Legal Aid Alberta and funding to the Legal Aid Society of Alberta. During the meeting, two motions were proposed pursuant to Rule 33(2)(b) of the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta, in particular: (a) that 32 OC T O BER 2010 www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com CdnProcess_CL_Oct_10.indd 1 9/15/10 10:39:37 AM