Law Week is a national event held annually in April celebrating the signing of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Originated by the Canadian Bar Association and first held in Canada in 1983, Law Week provides an excellent opportunity for the profession to educate the public about the vital role that lawyers and the judiciary serve in guaranteeing an open, independent and unbiased judicial system.

Law Week will be held from April 16 to 25, 2009 in communities across Canada. Law Week is made possible through the efforts of hundreds of lawyers who generously donate thousands of hours of volunteer time to Law Day events. In 2009, Law Day events in British Columbia will be held in Cowichan Valley, Fort St John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, New Westminster, Terrace, Tri-Cities, Vancouver and Victoria.

The Law Day 2009 theme is Access to Justice: Public Confidence in the Justice System. Law Day events provide the public with the opportunity to learn about the law, the legal profession and some of the legal institutions that form the cornerstones of our Canadian democracy. Law Week 2009 events include Dial-A-Lawyer, mock trials, essay and public speaking contests for students, free law classes, citizenship ceremonies, courthouse tours, and a fun run and free public forum in Vancouver.

Visit BCLawWeek.org for detailed information and photographs of events held in British Columbia.

[posted April 6, 2009]