British Columbia's Legal Profession Act divides opinions, establishes a single regulatory body, and creates regulated paralegals, while facing lawsuits challenging its constitutionality.
British Columbia's new Legal Profession Act, which became law last month, has divided opinions among lawyers in the province. The legislation establishes a single regulatory body for lawyers, paralegals, and notaries, and creates a new category of regulated paralegals who can handle certain legal cases independently. While some lawyers argue that the act creates a more modern, democratic governance structure for the legal profession, others, including the Law Society of British Columbia and the Trial Lawyers Association of B.C., have filed lawsuits to challenge the constitutionality of the bill, expressing concerns that it undermines the independence of the legal professions and their regulator.
June 15, 2024
9 Articles