FOR RELEASE: August 5, 2003
Unified Family Court
Background and Discussion Paper #2 - Status Update
1. Introduction
This is the second discussion paper published by the Justice Review Task Force on the topic of Unified Family Court (“UFC”). This paper reports on the results of consultations conducted with the bench and the bar on UFC. It also reports on the current status of UFC research and planning in BC. This paper only reports on the comments made and the questions raised during the consultations, without trying to either fully explore or resolve these questions. This paper does however describe the next steps to be taken with respect to the issues raised.
The objective of the Justice Review Task Force is to identify a wide range of reform ideas and initiatives that may help to make the justice system more responsive, accessible and cost effective. To this end, the Task Force provides a forum for its participants to exchange information, engage in mutual consultation respecting proposed administrative, procedural or program changes, and coordinate initiatives where appropriate.
The Task Force has published a list of potential justice system reforms that may be worthy of further exploration. From that list the Task Force has begun to identify projects which it wishes to explore as a matter of priority. One such possibility that it has been exploring is Unified Family Court (“UFC”).
On October 7, 2002, the JRTF released a background and discussion paper on the topic of Unified Family Court. The paper had the following purposes:
to serve as a general orientation to the topic of Unified Family Court; to identify issues requiring consideration; and to begin to collect the information necessary to weigh the merits of having a Unified Family Court in British Columbia.
Upon releasing the paper, the JRTF consulted with various members of the judiciary and the family bar in order to begin to assess the advantages and disadvantages of implementing UFC and to measure the judiciary and the bar’s position on whether BC should proceed with implementing a UFC system.
On December 10, 2002, the Federal Minister of Justice announced a Child-Centered Family Justice Strategy. A key component of this strategy was a commitment to provide the provinces and territories with funding for family justice services and for the expansion of Unified Family Court. The Government of Canada committed to provide nation-wide funding of $16.1 million a year for 62 new judges, 46 of whom will be promoted from the provincial court level. The expansion of Unified Family Court is to commence by 2005-2006.
The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on the Task Force’s consideration of Unified Family Court. No conclusions have yet been reached. However, the Task Force feels it would be timely to provide all interested stakeholders with an overview of the results of the consultation so far, including comments from the Supreme and Provincial Courts, together with particulars of some of the issues presently under consideration.
Media Release in PDF
Please forward written comments to:
BC Justice Review Task Force
c/o The Law Society of British Columbia
845 Cambie Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 4Z9
Vancouver Facsimile: 604.646.5919
Toll Free Facsimile: 1.877.669.9601
Email comments to: info@bcjusticereview.org
- 30 -
|
