Justice Reform Initiatives ~ Early Solutions, Faster Justice

Family Justice Reform Projects

New Provincial Court (Family) Rules

On December 1, 1998, the Ministry of Attorney General introduced new Provincial Court (Family) Rules, designed to improve case management and to provide more opportunities for early settlement such as judicial Family Case Conferences. Changes to the rules were made in response to issues related to accessibility and timeliness of the family court process and to the complexity of the family justice system.

One of the new rules, Rule 5, was designed to reduce the use of the provincial court for Family Relations Act (FRA) matters by promoting the use of early, non-court methods of dispute resolution and by reducing the number and complexity of FRA trials.

Rule 5 introduced a new process, informally known as "triage", as a required first step in FRA cases in the designated Family Justice Registries of Surrey, Kelowna and Robson Square. On April 1, 2007, Nanaimo was established as a fourth Family Justice Registry. In these Registries, most parties to FRA cases are required to meet with a Family Justice Counsellor (FJC) for a triage appointment prior to a first appearance before a judge.

Read the Provincial Court (Family) Rules on the Queen's Printer website.

For further information about Family Justice Registries and Family Justice Counsellors, visit the Family Justice website.