Canadian Lawyer

24 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m .C.'s newly appointed New Democratic Party attor- ney general, David Eby, says he will be searching for solutions to underlying social issues that are bringing individuals into conflict with government, the judicial system and subsequently landing in courts and jails. Known as the "giant killer" for knocking off former premier Christy Clark in her Vancouver riding in 2013, Eby will be proving his worth as he shoulders a heavy load. Not only will he deal with the legaliza- tion of marijuana in 2018 and pressure to stem opiate deaths, a broadened mandate of duties has been placed on his shoulders. "There are major structural issues to get at," says Eby, the son of a lawyer, who turned 41 shortly after his appointment. That Eby should feel strongly about the underlying issues of crime is not surprising as he is a known human rights and civil liberties lawyer, past executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association and a vocal critic of the police in matters relating to the disadvantaged. Under Eby's mandate as AG, he is charged with re-establishing the defunct B.C. Human Rights Commis- sion, an investigative body, which was abolished in 2003 by the Liberals. High on the NDP's priority and on Eby's to-do list is address- ing many First Nations issues ranging from land claims, establish- ing legal aid support for First Nations people, coming to grips with the high rates of First Nations people incarcerated as well as the number of indigenous children that the courts land in B.C.'s care. In fact, addressing issues faced by First Nations people is a priority across all the NDP ministries, he says. Premier John Hor- gan also appointed the first indigenous woman in B.C. to cabinet. The past Liberals have had a bumpy road with First Nations as they pushed for resource exploitation without what many indigenous communities felt was proper consultation or accom- modation. "We see the biggest challenge in B.C. is attempting to establish good working relations with the First Nations community," he says. Eby says the ministry is committed to working with the First Nations community to ensure the Supreme Court of Canada 2014 Tsilhqot'in ruling is adhered to and that B.C. makes a positive con- tribution toward reconciliation, strongly advocated by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Eby will also be charged with implementing the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into legislation, policies and programs. The landmark Tsilhqot'in First Nation decision in northern B.C. underscored the rights of First Nations to be consulted C R O S S E X A M I N E D From activist to AG B.C.'s new attorney general, David Eby, has his work cut out for him to fulfil the NDP's promises on justice reform By Jean Sorensen B

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