BarTalk October 2001
Volume 13, Number 5

CBABC Equality Committee

The CBABC Equality Committee’s mandate is to advise and assist the CBABC Executive Committee to create strategies and programs which will assist the bar to recognize, reflect and promote equity and diversity within the CBABC, the profession as a whole, and the justice system.

The Committee strives to accomplish its mandate through a variety of strategies, including meetings with partner entities in the justice system, educational columns in BarTalk, receptions and events which bring members together to discuss equity and diversity issues within the profession, and through its representation on the Executive Committee. The Chair of the Committee is an Officer of the Executive Committee.

Past accomplishments include hosting two consultations on the CBA’s Racial Equality Report and a joint meeting with the Equity and Diversity Committee of the Law Society of BC, the Provincial Court Equality Committee, UBC and UVic law schools, BC Supreme Court Judges, and Ministry of the Attorney General representatives.

Most recently, the Committee co-hosted the Aboriginal Awareness Symposium at the UBC First Nations Longhouse Great Hall (Sty-Wet-Tan) on March 9, 2001. The program included an opening prayer, followed by speakers Chief Robert Joseph, UBC law professor June McCue, and Dr. Jo-Ann Archibald. Topics included the absence of Aboriginal history in and the impact of residential schooling upon the justice system. The program also featured table discussions, a friendship dance, a feast and entertainment, including a Métis Flutist, a contemporary Aboriginal singer and a Cree dance troupe.

The Equality Committee, then chaired by Valli Chettiar, proposed the idea of the Aboriginal Awareness Symposium in mid 2000 as part of the Committee’s mandate to provide equality education to CBA members. Perry Shawana, an Aboriginal lawyer and former member of the Committee, consulted with Dr. Jo-Ann Archibald, Director of the First Nations Longhouse at UBC and Sharon McNeill, Director of the Centre for International Indigenous Legal Studies to develop an aboriginal awareness education event for decision makers and leaders in the legal profession and the broader justice system.

The Legal Services Society and CBABC provided funding for 100 people to attend. Invitations were sent to the Legal Services Society, PLTC/CLE, the Law Foundation, CBABC Provincial Council members, Local and County Bar Presidents, Law Society Benchers, past and present members of the CBABC Equality Committee, Law Society Equity and Diversity Committee and their senior staff, Attorney General’s Office, Equality Committee members from the Bench, Judges of all levels of Court in the province, Chief Justice Brenner, then Chief Justice McEachern, Chief Judge Baird-Ellan, Deans and staff from UBC and UVic, the Human Rights Commission, and members of the following CBABC Sections: Human Rights, Aboriginal Law, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered, Women Rainmakers, Women’s Practice Issues/Equality Issues.

The speakers were extremely moving and those who attended made a personal commitment to spread the words of Chief Robert Joseph, Professor June McCue and Dr. Jo-Ann Archibald. The symposium was timely, in view of the fact that Professor Ferguson of the UVic had recently released his report entitled Addressing Discriminatory Barriers Facing Aboriginal Law Students and Graduates. The CBABC Equality Committee will advise and assist the Executive Committee on implementation of the recommendations in that report.

Equality Committee Members
All CBABC members are encouraged to forward any contributions or comments regarding the above or any equity and diversity issues to Sandy Jakab-Hancock or Sabrina A S Ali, Co-Chairs of the Equality Committee, or to any member of the 2001/2002 Committee:

Angela Alphonse
Kathryn Berge
Jennifer Conkie
Stephen Cooke
Judith Lee
Wynn Lewis
David Paul
Deirdre Rice
David St Pierre
Roxanne Vachon
J Jacy Wingson

Thanks to Sabrina A S Ali and Sandy Jakab-Hancock for providing this article.

Wanted: Unsung Heroes

Every year, the CBABC recognizes one member from each county who has made a significant difference to his or her community, with little public recognition. We rely on you, their colleagues, to ensure that unto these exceptional people a little light falls.

A nomination form is included in this issue of BarTalk. It is also available in the Lawyer’s Lounge of www.bccba.org, or can be faxed to you by request (call toll free 1.888.687.3404). The nomination deadline is December 31, 2001 – nominations are valid for two years.

CBABC Staff Make Covenant House Donation

In September the CBABC staff, through its casual day initiative, donated $565 to Covenant House Vancouver. The funds were raised over a period of six months. Covenant House Vancouver is a crisis intervention centre and residence for homeless and at-risk youth aged 16-24. In addition to offering food, shelter, clothing, counselling, medical and social service referrals, the organization also provides educational-vocational preparation, drug abuse treatment, legal services, street outreach and aftercare.

Changes Afoot With BarTalk

Readers and new board vote for changes
BarTalk presents an interesting challenge: It must be interesting, readable and informative. It must have a mix of content to appeal to a wide cross-section of the 10,000 lawyers, judges, MLAs and reporters who receive it. And it must be produced in the most economical way possible, to provide the best use of members’ dollars.

As “shareholders” in the publication, our members have no qualms about telling us what they want to see. Every two years the BarTalk Editorial Board requests feedback and evaluates the responses. They also review cost-saving options and formatting innovations from other jurisdictions.

This year, some of the changes you will notice include:

• changes to the printing specifications, to allow significant cost savings (a special CBABC prize will be drawn among those who correctly identify all three changes in an email to cba@bccba.org)

• reduction of the size of the publication to 28 pages as often as possible – members have told us there’s too much information

• a new format for Legislative Update, which will be introduced in the December issue. This will feature a condensed synopsis and analysis, rather than a line-by-line listing of changes to Acts

• a Student Page will be introduced to concentrate information of direct relevance to student members in one page

• Caroline Nevin is moving into the position of Senior Editor, and former Production Assistant Sandra Webb is now Editor. Sandra is responsible for coordinating editorial contributions, advertising and inserts.

This year’s Editorial Board members are: Ken Armstrong, Chair; Vikki Bell, QC; William Clark; Christine Mingie; and David Roberts, QC. The Board welcomes your comments, feedback and ideas for future stories.

Thanks to everyone who shared their opinions with us. And congratulations to Ann Doyle, winner of our “Canuck sports bag” draw.

These articles were published in the October 2001 issue of BarTalk and are subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2005, all rights reserved.