One of the recommendations in the report of the Family Justice Reform Working
Group was to create new family rules. The Family Rules Drafting Group has
prepared a Concept Draft of the proposed Supreme Court Family Rules which is
posted on a supplemental Justice Review Task Force (JRTF) website at
www.bcjusticereviewforum.ca/familyrules. Members of the judiciary, lawyers,
paralegals, advocates, court registry staff and others are encouraged to provide
feedback to the JRTF via this on-line forum by June 30, 2008.
The Family Justice Review Working Group’s report contains a number of
recommendations for changes to the family court system in B.C., including:
Recommendation 12:
- that rules and forms for family cases be simplified and streamlined
to allow for expedited, economical resolution of all cases with
processes proportional and appropriate to the value and importance of
the case;
- that every family law form and procedure be designed to be used and
understood by an unrepresented litigant;
- that the basis upon which expenses are to be recorded on parties’
financial disclosure forms be clarified.
Recommendation 14:
- That there be a single set of rules to govern all family cases
(except child protection cases) regardless of the court in which the
proceeding is brought.
In March 2007, the Attorney General established a Family Rules
Working Group (FRWG) to prepare draft rules based on the
recommendations contained in the report. A Steering Committee was
created to provide direction to the drafting group.
While the FRWG set out to draft a single set of stand-alone family
rules, after some initial work, that mandate shifted to drafting a
separate set of family rules for Supreme Court. This shift resulted
from several concerns that arose as the FRWG attempted to draft a
single set of rules. Details about this decision are included in the
Concept Draft Guide, which is available on the Family Rules on-line
forum
www.bcjusticereviewforum.ca/familyrules.
Consultations on the proposed Family Rules have begun and will
continue until June 30, 2008. Please watch this site for further
updates.
The Family Justice Reform Working Group was initiated by the Justice Review Task Force, an ongoing collaboration between government, the judiciary and lawyers, working together to help make the justice system more responsive, accessible and cost-effective.
The Working Group has been given a mandate by the Task Force to explore options for fundamental change in the family law system that will better serve the parents and children who access it.
The Working Group has developed recommendations for changes to the family court system in BC. It also examined the concept of unified family court and made recommendations on the delivery of family justice services outside of the court system, such as non-adversarial and settlement oriented processes.
Click here to access the Working Group's report, A New Justice System for Families and Children.
[May 2005]
Click here to access the appendices to the report.
[April 2005]
Comments on the report and its recommendations should be directed to the Justice Review Task Force.
In the event opportunities for in-person consultation are organized by the Justice Review Task Force, notice will be posted on this website.
Click here to learn about the work the Ministry of Attorney General has been doing with respect to the report's recommendations.
[September 2006]
The Honourable Madam Justice Alison Beames, Supreme Court of BC
The Honourable Associate Chief Judge John Threlfall, Provincial Court of BC
M Jerry McHale, QC, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of the Attorney General
Richard Bjarnason, Barrister and Solicitor
Nancy Cameron, Barrister and Solicitor
Jill Dempster, Senior Policy & Legislative Analyst, Ministry of the Attorney General
Dinyar Marzban, Barrister & Solicitor
Heidi Mason, Barrister & Solicitor, Mgr, Field Operations Dept, Legal Services Society
Carole McKnight, Mediator, Educator and Consultant
Mary Mouat, Barrister & Solicitor
Irene Robertson, Senior Policy Analyst, Ministry of the Attorney General
July 22, 2003
Family Justice Reform Working Group
June 9, 2005
Working Group Releases Report on Family Justice System
July 22, 2003
Justice Review Task Force Appoints New Working Group to Improve
BC’s Family Justice System
July 22, 2003
Family Justice Reform Working Group
Commissioned by the Family Justice Reform Working Group
July 15, 2004
Mandatory Dispute Resolution in Child Protection: A Survey of Jurisdictions
July 11, 2004
Dispute Resolution Programs, Mandatory Dispute Resolution and Pre-Action Protocols in Separation and Divorce
July 7, 2004
Arbitration of Family Law Disputes in British Columbia
July 2004
Cross-Jurisdictional Survey of Early Case Assessment in Family Disputes
June 22, 2004
The Applicability of Pre-Action Protocols to BC Family Law Disputes
September 2006
A New Justice System for Families and Children
Family Justice Reform Working
Group Report: An Update on
Recommendations
May 2005
A New Justice System for Families and Children
Report of the Family Justice Reform Working Group to the Justice Review Task Force
Report -
Appendices
September 2003
Summary of Reports for the Family Justice Reform Working Group
July 22, 2003
Family Justice Reform Working Group
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