The Ministry of Attorney General of British Columbia
The Family Relations Act Review
The Ministry of Attorney General is undertaking a comprehensive review of the Family Relations Act. The goal is to modernize the law and support co-operative approaches to resolving disputes in an Act that is easy to read and understand.

To start this multi-year project, a notice has been posted on the Justice Services Branch Web site (www.ag.gov.bc.ca/justice-services) describing the project and asking interested individuals and organizations to send issues of concern relating to the topics that have been identified or to suggest other areas for review. Later, discussion papers will be posted on a number of topics to encourage more focused comment.


Practice Direction Issued
The Honourable Chief Justice Brenner, Supreme Court of British Columbia
This practice direction amends the practice direction issued by Chief Justice Brenner on September 9, 2005. The amendments are the result of changes to the Criminal Code that came into effect on January 3, 2006, which resulted in the renumbering of some of the sections referred to in the original practice direction.

PDF document: www.cba.org/BC/pdf/courts/sc_02_23_06.pdf

Link to Supreme Court notices on B.C. Branch site [CBA ID needed to view this page]: www.cba.org/BC/Practice_Resources/supreme_court/supreme_court.aspx


Notice to the Profession: February 2, 2006
The Honourable Chief Judge Hugh C. Stansfield, Provincial Court of British Columbia
In response to the increase in the monetary jurisdiction of the Small Claims Act to $25,000, the Provincial Court of British Columbia has made a number of scheduling changes in order to resolve cases in a "just, speedy, inexpensive, and simple manner," according to the mandate in Section 2 of the Small Claims Act. Read more at www.cba.org/BC/pdf/courts/pc_02_02_06.pdf.

These articles were published in the April 2006 issue of BarTalk. © 2006 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.