Bar Association Launches Constitutional Challenge to Legal Aid Restrictions

On Monday, the Canadian Bar Association filed a statement of claim with the Supreme Court of British Columbia in a bid to establish a constitutional right to civil legal aid.

According to the Bar Association, the many exclusions and restrictions concerning access to legal aid in B.C. mean the regime does " not comply with the Canadian Constitution and obligations under international human rights law."

The Association has been campaigning for improvements to legal aid for the past ten years and it is calling for a federal transfer earmarked for civil legal aid with minimum national standards for services.