LRWC: protecting access to justice and independence of the legal profession in British Columbia, Canada for over two decades

LRWC research, education, and advocacy on human rights concerns in British Columbia, 2002-2024

Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada has conducted research, education and advocacy on human rights issues in British Columbia (BC) since 2002. The primary focus of LRWC’s work in BC has been on access to remedies for violations of rights (“access to justice”) including remedies for violations of rights of Indigenous Peoples and persons. See the list of selected reports and publications below (in descending date order):

• Canada: Legal aid in British Columbia, 2024: Overview of current concerns, briefing notes, 23 April 2024, https://www.lrwc.org/canada-legal-aid-in-british-columbia-2024-overview-of-current-concerns-briefing-notes/
  
• Canada: British Columbia’s draft law on regulation of the legal profession violates international law and standards: Bill 21 compromises the independence of lawyers and the rule of law, Briefing paper, 17 April 2024, https://www.lrwc.org/bc-canada-analysis-bill-21/ Also see letter of 12 April 2024 (pdf). Follow up to brief issued 10 April 2024 (pdf), and cover letter 10 April 2024 (pdf);
• The global problem of enforced disappearances: “Outside all protection of the law,” Joint Statement to the 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council, 23 January 2024, https://www.lrwc.org/enforced-disappearances-lrwc-unhrc54/. Annex of examples from 17 countries, including Canada (and British Columbia), Canada, 18 August 2023, https://www.lrwc.org/enforced-disappearances-outside-all-protection-of-the-law-hrc54/
• Canada: Concern about BC government intrusion on independence of the legal profession: BC Attorney General’s “Legal Professions Regulatory Modernization General Intentions Paper,” Submission, 18 November 2022, https://www.lrwc.org/lrwc-statement-bc-legal-professions-regulatory-intentions-paper/.
• Policy Complaint Concerning RCMP C-IRG unit behaviour at Argenta-Johnson’s Landing, 21 July 2022, Joint Complaint to the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission of the RCMP, https://www.lrwc.org/policy-complaint-concerning-rcmp-c-irg-unit-behaviour-at-argenta-johnsons-landing/;
• Canada: Gidimt’en land defenders made a submission to UN about ongoing rights violations by BC and Canada, Press release and submission, 7 February 2022, https://www.lrwc.org/canada-gidimten-land-defenders-made-a-submission-to-un/;
• Canada: Unlawful attacks on Indigenous land rights defenders in Wet’suwet’en Territory, 15 December 2021, Letter, https://www.lrwc.org/re-unlawful-attacks-on-indigenous-land-rights-defenders-in-wetsuweten-territory/;
• British Columbia, Canada: Withdraw amendments to Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 27 October 2021, Co-signer of joint letter, https://www.lrwc.org/british-columbia-canada-withdraw-amendments-to-freedom-of-information-and-protection-of-privacy-act-joint-letter/;
• Canada: Implementation of UNDRIP is now the law, Statement, June 2021, https://www.lrwc.org/canada-must-implement-the-un-declaration-of-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples-update/. (This act applies to Canada’s federal government. Some federal legislation is relevant to persons in BC);
• Canada’s Senate must immediately pass Bill C-15: UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, statement, 19 May 2021, https://www.lrwc.org/bill-c-15-undrip-act/;
• Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) calls on Canada’s Senate for immediate passage of Bill C-15, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, Statement, 29 May 2021, https://www.lrwc.org/bill-c-15-undrip-act/.
• Canada: Indigenous Nations, organizations and individuals support federal implementation of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Joint open Letter, 10 March 2021, https://www.lrwc.org/canada-indigenous-nations-organizations-and-prominent-individuals-support-federal-implementation-of-un-indigenous-rights-declaration-open-letter/ (note that some federal legislation is relevant to persons in BC);
• Canada must conduct thorough, independent investigation of all undocumented deaths of Indigenous children, Statement, 26 June 2020, https://www.lrwc.org/canada-must-conduct-thorough-independent-investigations-of-all-undocumented-deaths-of-indigenous-children-statement/;
• Canada‘s international human rights law obligations to suspend construction of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline and stop use of force against the Wet’suwet’en, Legal Brief, 17 March 2020, https://www.lrwc.org/canada-legal-brief-international-law-wetsuweten/;
• Canada: Lawyers without Borders Canada and LRWC, Joint Submission for the Universal Period Review of Canada, UN Human Rights Council, Third Cycle, 10 October 2017, https://www.lrwc.org/canada-lbwc-and-lrwc-joint-submission-for-the-universal-period-review-third-cycle/.
• Canada: Factum of the Intervener LRWC – TWU vs LSUC, 25 February 2016,  https://www.lrwc.org/canada-factum-of-the-intervener-lrwc-twu-vs-lsuc/.
• Canada: Canadian Groups Call for a National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Women and Implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Joint Statement, 16 June 2015,  https://www.lrwc.org/canada-canadian-groups-call-for-a-national-inquiry-on-missing-and-murdered-women-and-implementation-of-the-un-declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples-joint-statement/.
• Canada: Response to the Societies Act: White Paper from British Columbia Nongovernmental Organizations, Joint Statement, 28 October 2014, https://www.lrwc.org/canada-response-to-the-societies-act-white-paper-from-british-columbia-nongovernmental-organizations-joint-statements/
• Pipelines and Indigenous Sovereignty: Kinder Morgan and Northern Gateway, 1 May 2014, https://www.lrwc.org/first-nations-rights-speaker-series-the-gap-between-law-and-practice-may-1-2014-poster/
• Savage Anxieties: Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights and the Not-So-Special Case of Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group v. Canada before the Inter-American Human Rights Commission, public education event, April 2013, https://www.lrwc.org/first-nations-rights-speaker-series-the-gap-between-law-and-practice-may-9-2013/.
• Oral statement to the UN Human Rights Council on Legal Aid in Canada, 30 May 2013, https://www.lrwc.org/canada-oral-intervention-at-the-un-human-rights-council-on-legal-aid-in-canada-statement/.
• The Right to Legal Aid: How British Columbia’s Legal Aid System Fails to Meet International Obligations, 2013, Report, https://www.lrwc.org/the-right-to-legal-aid-how-british-columbias-legal-aid-system-fails-to-meet-international-obligations/;
• Kenneth Deer: Indigenous Rights in the UN System, event, May 2012, https://www.lrwc.org/indigenous-rights-in-the-un-system/.
• International Law Obligations to Provide Legal Aid: Submission to the Public Commission on Legal Aid, March 2013, http://www.lrwc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Legal-Aid-LRWC-Oct-25-2010.pdf;
• Robert Morales: Seeking Justice Elsewhere, public education event, 23 February 2012, https://www.lrwc.org/video-seeking-justice-elsewhere/.
• Canada: CERD Report on Missing Women and Murdered Women in BC and Canada, submission to UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination, January 2012, https://www.lrwc.org/cerd-report-on-missing-women//;
• British Columbia: Missing Women Commission of Inquiry, Letter, 22 October 2011, https://www.lrwc.org/missing-women-commission-of-inquiry-commission/,
• Canada: Petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group (on the merits), 3 June 2011, https://www.lrwc.org/lrwc-on-the-merits-of-the-hulquminum-treaty/. LRWC volunteers participated in hearings in Washington DC on 29 October 2011.
• Legal Funding for groups with standing at the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry, 2011, 19 September 2011, https://www.lrwc.org/legal-funding-for-groups-with-standing-at-the-missing-women-commission-of-inquiry/.
• British Columbia: International Obligations to Provide Legal Aid, Report, 25 October 2010, https://www.lrwc.org/legal-aid-international-obligations-to-provide/
• David Eby and Pivot Legal Society: restriction of access to city services and participation in civic committees, 24 November 2006, https://www.lrwc.org/david-eby-and-pivot-legal-society/.
• Re: Cameron Ward, Lawyer, Letter to Vancouver Police Department, 7 August 2002, https://www.lrwc.org/cameron-ward-lawyer-2/.