FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 2, 1998

Formation of the Coalition(s). The combined membership of the coalitions exceed 100 diverse organizations and concerned individuals who share a common concern about access to justice, but have not traditionally worked together. The Coalition for Access to Justice and the Women's Access to Legal Services Coalition were formed independently but are working together to improve access to justice for the poor and disadvantaged of BC. Our membership continues to expand and we welcome the opportunity to broaden our base of support.

Our February 18, 1998 presentation to the Legal Services Society Board was well received and resulted in a Board resolution to work "in tandem" with the Coalitions. Geoff Cowper has attended most of the Coalition meetings as a liaison to the Board and the Board is working with the Coalition on initiatives such as collection of data regarding clients who are denied legal aid.

The Law Society Benchers have passed a resolution to work "parallel" with the coalitions. Richard Gibbs (Chair of the Law Society Legal Aid Committee) and Marjorie Martin (lay bencher and members of the Law Society Legal Aid Committee) have attended most of the Coalition meetings as liaisons to the Law Society. The Law Society has approved a budget for research projects on the overall issue of access to justice, which will provide support for the Coalition objectives.

On March 8, 1998 representatives of the coalitions were successful in getting a resolution supporting increased funding for legal aid passed at the NDP Annual Convention. In the process we had opportunities to speak with Cabinet Ministers. MLAs, staff and NDP party members about the legal aid crisis. We also had a meeting with the Attorney General in which we shared information about the impact of legal aid cuts and our objective of increasing legal aid funding.

Beginning with a spontaneous eruption of frustration by the Prince George criminal bar, withdrawals of service by the private bar have followed in Kelowna, Prince Rupert, Abbotsford, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, Nanaimo, Terrace and Vernon. On April 8, 1998 the Coalition passed a resolution asking all of our members to take whatever action we can to increase the pressure on the government to adequately fund legal aid. Withdrawals since then have been taken in support of the Coalition objective and lawyers in all of the communities where withdrawals are occurring have made it clear that they support the objectives of the Coalition. Lawyers in other communities are considering what action they will take in support of the Coalition. In one community a joint meeting of the local bar and community organizations has been organized to allow the larger community to develop strategies to increase the pressure on the government.

On May 3, 1998 representatives of the Coalition were successful in getting a resolution passed at the BC Liberal convention, which holds the government accountable for putting all of the money received from the tax on lawyers accounts and from the federal government into the legal aid budget. Geoff Plant, the Liberal critic for Justice and Legal Affairs, put forward the resolution and it was passed by an overwhelming majority.

On May 8, 1998 the Coalition wrote to the federal Minister of Justice, Anne McLellan, requesting information about the federal contribution to legal aid in British Columbia. We have not yet received an answer but are following up with requests for a meeting with the Minister.

Coalition representatives met with the Attorney General at his office in Victoria on May 21, 1998. We renewed our request for the provincial government to increase funding for legal aid this year, to equal the amount the government is collecting on the tax on lawyers accounts and from the federal government. We told the AG that we could then commit to work with the provincial government to pressure the federal government to match the provincial contribution to legal aid. We were encouraged by his commitment to take the issue of legal aid funding forward to the Premier and to the Minister of Finance. The meeting closed with an agreement that joint meetings will be held with Ministry representatives, the Legal Services Society, the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society and the Coalitions to consider creative approaches to providing legal aid and resolving the legal aid crisis.

Currently, we are in a phase of trying to focus media attention to increase the pressure on the government. We are asking all community groups, lawyers and any interested individuals to write to their MLA, to Finance Minister Joy MacPhail and to Premier Glen Clark to let them know exactly how the underfunding of legal aid is impacting on their constituents.