Justice Reform Initiatives ~ Early Solutions, Faster Justice

Family Justice Reform Projects

Family Rules Working Group

: View a concept draft of the proposed new family rules for the Supreme Court of B.C. at: www.bcjusticereviewforum.ca/familyrules. Members of the judiciary, lawyers, paralegals, advocates, court registry staff and others are encouraged to provide feedback to the Justice Review Task Force via this online forum by June 30, 2008.

A new set of family rules will make the family justice system more accessible and easier to navigate. A family rules working group was struck in January 2007 to draft new rules. Its members are:

  • Justice Brian Joyce - BC Supreme Court
  • Judge David Pendleton - Provincial Court of BC
  • Master Barbara Young - BC Supreme Court
  • Dinyar Marsban, Q.C.
  • M. Jerry McHale, Q.C.
  • Ken Downing
  • Kathleen Keating
  • Erin Shaw

The original mandate of the working group was to implement the recommendation of the family justice reform working group report to draft a single set of rules for the Supreme and Provincial Courts. After several months of work, the working group concluded that drafting a single set of rules raised two significant concerns:

  • In attempting to accommodate complex Supreme Court cases within a single set of rules, there was a risk of complicating the Provincial Court rules and undermining their effectiveness, particularly for unrepresented litigants.

  • With so many steps requiring different rules for complex cases, the group would, in effect, end up with two sets of rules again.

Accordingly, the family rules working group has shifted its mandate from drafting a single set of family rules to drafting a separate set of Supreme Court family rules and forms that are harmonized, to the extent possible, with the Provincial Court family rules.

Consultation on the proposed new family rules for the Supreme Court is taking place from March to June 30, 2008. A concept draft is posted on a supplemental Justice Review Task Force 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 online forum by June 30, 2008.