Battling cutbacks with help from the profession

by The Honourable Mr Justice Wallace T Oppal

One year ago, the Law Courts Education Society faced a crippling blow--the second funding cut in 14 months from the provincial government, resulting in a 65 per cent cut to operations funding.

In response, a fund raising committee, led by LCES Director Martin R. Taylor, QC, developed an emergency fund raising effort directed at the legal profession. The goal of “Campaign ‘97” was to gain help from the profession to keep the BC Courts Education Society alive and ensure it continued to provide information about BC’s courts and justice system to the public.

Campaign ‘97 raised more than $50,000 from legal profession members and received unprecedented support from the judiciary. This funding, combined with one-time contributions from the Law Foundation, Ministry of Education, fee-for-service and special project funding, totaled almost $200,000, and made the Society’s operations possible for another year.

Thanks to the dedication of LCES’ staff and the commitment of the profession, today the Law Courts Education Society is setting budget and service targets for 1998/99, and making positive multi-year business plans. Part of the strategy is to consolidate and stabilize the Society’s government core funding, while identifying and developing unique justice programs and services.

LCES’ educational programming includes ‘Parenting After Separation’ courses in Vancouver, Richmond and the Tri-Cities. LCES’ work also includes innovative First Nations initiatives. In the last year, LCES held more than 60 in-service sessions and workshops throughout BC for teachers and communities focusing on the First Nations Journeys of Justice curriculum. “This curriculum is now being used in over 150 BC schools,” said Craig, “and the feedback from teachers and communities using the curriculum is extremely positive.” The Society is also forming partnerships with school districts for the delivery of special crime prevention programs for youth at risk, and English as a Second Language students. ‘Courtlinks’ provide unique opportunities for youth, their teachers and communities to address crime and safety issues of particular concern to the students and the district.

This year, LCES is seeking a commitment from government to restore and stabilize the Society’s core funding at $400,000. LCES President Mr. Justice Wally Oppal believes ensuring adequate public funding for justice education is simply good public policy and helps address the duty of the court to provide for the fair administration of justice.

Chief Justice Bryan Williams, Justice Wally Oppal, and Executive Director Rick Craig recently had a positive meeting with Attorney General Deputy Minister Maureen Maloney regarding restoring $100,000 of core funding required by the Society this fiscal year. As well, the Society pressed the ministry for its help in securing $100,000 annual core funding from the Ministry of Education. As the final part of the funding equation, LCES has set a target of $150,000 to be raised by the Society in 1998/99 through Campaign ’98 and other initiatives.

“Last year, we were mobilized by a funding crisis and we survived,” said Justice Oppal. “This year we are able to be more positive. We’re saying to government core funders, the judiciary, the legal profession, as well as educators and communities around the province ‘Your financial support of LCES is vital to upholding the principles of ‘access to justice’ and ‘access to legal education’, especially to disadvantaged groups and those in remote and underserved locations. This is a commitment to proactive justice programming and support for ongoing legal education for BC communities and schools’.”

For further information about the Law Courts Education Society, or to make a donation, please contact Rick Craig, Law Courts Education Society, Vancouver Law Courts, 221-800 Smithe St, Vancouver BC V6Z 2E1, Tel: 604.660.9870, Fax: 604.775.3476

Mr Justice Wallace T Oppal is president of the Law Courts Education Society.

This article was published in the June 1998 issue of BarTalk and is subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2006, all rights reserved.