I Membership Fees

1. Annual Membership Class Fees

  1. The annual membership fee payable by Active (Regular) members is:
    1. Active (Regular) members: $570, effective September 1, 2023.
    2. Active (Regular) members in the three years following their call to the bar or swearing in as a Quebec notary: 45% of the annual membership fee for Active (Regular) members.
  2. The annual membership fee payable by Judicial members is 100% of the annual membership fee for Active (Regular) members.
  3. The annual membership fee payable by all Honorary members is nil.
  4. The annual membership fee payable by all Special members is:
    1. Law school student members: $20
    2. Student members other than law school students: 30% of the annual membership fee for Active (Regular) members
    3. Associate members: 55% of the annual membership fee for Active (Regular) members
    4. Retired members: 55% of the annual membership fee for Active (Regular) members.
    1. On September 1 of each year, all membership fees in this article, except the law school student fee, will be indexed by a percentage amount equal to the (rounded up dollar) annual percentage increase in the Canada Consumer Price Index calculated on January 31 of that year or 1.5%, whichever is higher.
    2. The Board of Directors, on the advice of the Finance Committee, may decide not to index the annual membership fees under paragraph (5)(a) in any given fiscal year.
    3. A Branch may reduce the annual membership fee for law school student members in that Branch, by an amount fixed in accordance with the Branch Bylaws and Regulations. The Branch Executive Director will inform the Chief Executive Officer of the Branch decision no later than 14 days after the decision.

Participation Fees

  1. Active (Regular) members who pay a premium fee in addition to the annual membership fee are entitled to additional member benefits established by the Board of Directors on the advice of the Finance Committee and the Management Team.
  2. The Board of Directors, on the advice of the Finance Committee, may establish more than one premium fee level.

Special Circumstances

  1. Active (Regular) members who meet the criteria for non-practice status in the Canadian law society in the jurisdiction in which they are called may apply for a 50% discount of the annual membership fee.
  2. Active (Regular) members who work part time pursuant to criteria in the Canadian law society in the jurisdiction in which they are called may apply for a 50% discount of the annual membership fee.
    1. Active (Regular) members who are scholars, undertaking full time graduate legal studies or Bar Admission studies to be admitted to another law society in Canada, and ceasing to be involved in the active practice of law, may apply for a 70% discount of the annual membership fee.
  3. Active (Regular) members who are on maternity or parental leave, on medical or disability leave, or are unemployed and actively seeking employment may apply for a waiver of the annual membership fee for a period of up to one year.
  4. The Chief Executive Officer or designate may consider other applications for a discount or waiver of the annual membership fee on compassionate grounds.
  5. The Board of Directors may establish criteria for determining any of these special circumstances. (Board, 8 Mar 2018; Branches, 30 Apr 2018. Board, 25 April 2019; Branches, 15 May 2019. Board, 25 March 2021; Branches, 20 May 2021. Board, 29 Nov 2022)

2. CBA Partner Groups

  1. A firm, department or other organization with 100 or more people eligible for Active (Regular) membership that pays the annual membership fee for 95% or more of those eligible shall be entitled:
    1. to pay the annual membership fees not already discounted, at a 15% discount;
    2. to receive a 5% rebate on the cost of products, services and premium fees purchased from the Association in the previous year.
  2. A firm, department or other organization with 50 to 99 people eligible for Active (Regular) membership that pays the annual membership fee for 95% or more of those eligible shall be entitled to pay the annual membership fees not already discounted, at a 10% discount.

3. CBA Supporter Groups

  1. A firm, department or other organization with 100 or more people eligible for Active (Regular) membership that pays the annual membership fee for less than 95% of those eligible, and pays an “advocacy quotient” of $200 per eligible person who is not a member, shall be entitled to pay the annual membership fees not already discounted, at a 5% discount.
  2. People included in the calculation of the advocacy quotient are not members, and shall not have the right to attend meetings of the Association, to have a deliberative voice therein, to vote, to hold office, or to propose or second resolutions.

4. Non-Payment of Fees

  1. A member is suspended for non-payment of fees with discontinuation of all services, 30 days after their membership comes up for renewal, and their membership lapses for non-renewal 60 days after their membership comes up for renewal.

4.1. Membership Incentives

For fiscal year 2020-2021, the Finance Committee, on the advice of the Management Team, may establish:

  1. Fee incentives, adjustments or discounts for CBA Partner Groups under article 2;
  2. Programs to defer fee payments by individual members or groups where their membership would otherwise lapse under paragraph 4(1)

without approval according to the formula in paragraph 70(3) of CBA Bylaw Number 1. (Board, 30 Apr 2020; Branches, 5 Jun 2020)

5. Allocation of Fees to Branches and Branch Fees

  1. The annual membership fees paid in accordance with the General Regulations are allocated first as follows:
    1. An amount set per annum by the Management Team is allocated for the common shared services to support all parts of the Association, based on the formula below. For fiscal years 2018-2019 to 2023-2024 the set amount must be approved according to the formula in paragraph 70(3) of CBA Bylaw Number 1.
      Allocation for Common Shared Services = set amount per Active (Regular) member in the fee category set out in paragraph 1(1)(a) + nil per law school student member + a proportion of the set amount per each other member, in the percentage for their fee category set out in articles 1 and 2.
    2. Effective September 1, 2019, an amount per annum is allocated to a Special Projects Fund to fund major projects of the Association, based on the formula below.
      Allocation for Special Projects Fund = $5 per Active (Regular) member in the fee category set out in paragraph 1(1)(a) + nil per law school student member + a proportion of $5 per each other member, in the percentage for their fee category set out in articles 1 and 2.
    3. Where a Branch has an agreement with the law society in that jurisdiction whereby membership in the Association is universal, an amount per annum is allocated to that Branch, based on the formula below.
      Allocation for Universal Membership Branches = $10 per Active (Regular) member in the Branch, in the fee category set out in paragraph 1(1)(a) + nil per law school student member + a proportion of $10 per each other member in the Branch, in the percentage for their fee category set out in article 1.
    4. $230,062 per annum is allocated collectively to the Branches with fewer than 500 Active (Regular) members, based on a formula determined each year by the Board of Directors.
  2. The annual membership fees remaining after the allocations in paragraph 5(1) are allocated as follows:
    1. The remaining fees from regular members of CCCA: 40% to CCCA, 40% to the Branch in which the member is resident, 20% to the national Association.
    2. The remaining fees from all classes of members (other than regular members of CCCA) resident in a Branch with fewer than 500 Active (Regular) members: 60% to the Branch in which the member is resident, 40% to the national Association.
    3. The remaining fees from all classes of members (other than regular members of CCCA) resident in a Branch with 500 or more Active (Regular) members:
      1. for fiscal years 2019-2020 to 2023-2024, 53% to the Branch in which the member is resident, 47% to the national Association;
      2. thereafter, 50% to the Branch in which the member is resident, 50% to the national Association.
  3. Where a Branch has an agreement with the law society in that jurisdiction whereby membership in the Association is universal, a firm, department or other organization is not eligible for the CBA Partner Group or CBA Supporter Group discount on the annual membership fees for Active (Regular) members in that Branch. (Board, 8 Mar 2018; Branches, 30 Apr 2018. Board, 25 Apr 2019; Branches, 15 May 2019. Board, 25 Mar 2021; Branches, 20 May 2021. Board, 10 Mar 2022; Branches, 6 Apr 2022. Board, 27 Apr 2023; Branches, 30 May 2023. Board. 22 Jun 2023; Branches, 16 Aug 2023.)