NCJ Number
81489
Date Published
Unknown
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This annual report covers the activities of the Legal Services Commission of British Columbia from April 1, 1978, to March 31, 1979.
Abstract
The Commission's purpose is to see that legal services are provided to the people of British Columbia, with particular attention to those for whom services are not currently available for financial or other reasons. The Commission funds two types of activities: direct legal services provided to an individual client and indirect legal services in the form of education and information programs for the general public. The Commission receives funding primarily from the provincial government through the Ministry of the Attorney General. The opening chapter of this annual report describes the process that produced legislation mandating the union of the Legal Services Commission of British Columbia with the Legal Aid Society, effective October 1, 1979. Currently, the Commission funds direct legal services through the following organizations: (1) the Legal Aid Society, which provides legal advice and counsel to persons who cannot afford a private lawyer; (2) community law offices, which provide legal information and assistance to the public in communities throughout the Province; (3) Native Legal Services, which provides legal services to predominantly native communities; (4) Vancouver Community Legal Assistance Society, which provides legal assistance to low income groups in the Vancouver area; (5) the Elizabeth Fry Society, which provides services for the special legal needs of women; and (6) the Native Courtworkers and Counselling Association, which provides courtwork service to natives charged with criminal offenses. The Commission's indirect legal services include the training of community legal workers, research into legal services issues, evaluation of funded agencies, coordination of public legal education programs, funding of legal collections in public libraries, provision of legal information services through the Legal Resource Center, and development of legal education in schools. An audited financial statement is appended, along with a draft budget for 1979-1980. Tabular data are provided on various legal services and clients.