Unbound Law believes that an important part of access to justice is connecting people with free resources that may help them navigate the legal system. As such, we have prepared this overview of such resources in British Columbia, gratefully adapted from the Law Society’s page on the same topic.
Public legal information
- Clicklaw is a comprehensive website of legal information for the public, operated by Courthouse Libraries BC.
- People’s Law School provides free and impartial public legal education.
- Dial-a-Law, operated by the People’s Law School is a starting point for information on the law in BC in over 130 topic areas.
- Unbundled Legal Services was launched by the People’s Law School to explain unbundling of legal services for the public.
- Legal Aid BC provides legal assistance to BC residents living in poverty and has a number of publications for the public.
- Family Law in British Columbia is a website operated by Legal Aid BC and dedicated to helping families use the law.
- MyLawBC is a service provided by the Legal Aid BC to help people deal with everyday legal issues.
- The Supreme Court of British Columbia website has information packages designed to assist people who are representing themselves in court.
- JusticeBC is the provincial government’s web-based gateway for British Columbians who want information about the family and criminal justice systems, and justice reform.
- Justice access centres in Nanaimo, Vancouver and Victoria are available to help with family and civil law issues, such as separation or divorce, income security, employment, housing or debt.
- The Justice Education Society provides resources to help people access British Columbia’s justice system and resolve their legal matters.
- AdminLawBC is an online help guide for British Columbians navigating the world of administrative law.
Free legal services
- Access Pro Bono Society of British Columbia provides free legal services to people and non-profit organizations of limited means throughout BC.
- Community Legal Assistance Society provides legal assistance to those with low income or disabilities.
- UBC Law Students’ Legal Advice Program, as its name suggests, provides free legal advice and representation to people who cannot afford a lawyer.
- UVic Law Centre provides assistance, advice and representation to clients in the Greater Victoria area who cannot afford a lawyer.
- Rise Women’s Legal Centre is a full-service storefront legal clinic, provided by West Coast LEAF and the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC, that focuses on providing legal representation to low-income women in the Lower Mainland.
- BC Centre for Elder Advocacy & Support
- Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of BC
For a more extensive list, consult this document published by the BC Civil Liberties Association.
Glossary of legal terms
There are many online resources that provide definitions of legal terms, including:
Laws, statutes and regulations
- BC Statutes
- Consolidated Acts of Canada
- BC Regulation Bulletins
- Canada Gazette
- Consolidated Regulations of Canada
- Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII)
Law libraries
- Courthouse Libraries BC is the primary provider of legal information services to the legal community and the public of BC. Some of the free and fee-based services include:
- searching legal databases
- access to bills, statutes, regulations, case law and texts
- locating and noting up cases and legislation
- access to all CLBC electronic and print resources through a web-based catalogue
- access to electronic and Internet resources on public computers in the libraries
- website with legal links and research guides
- print, scanning, fax and e-mail services
- Lawyers’ Reading Room (free online library for BC lawyers and articling students)
- The Law Library of UBC and The University of Victoria Diana M. Priestly Law Library are open to the public who may use library resources for study and research.
- Canadian Association of Law Libraries
- Thomson Rivers University Law Library
Courts and court information
- BC Provincial Court
- BC Superior Courts
- BC Supreme Court Registries
- Federal Court of Canada
- Supreme Court of Canada
- BC Provincial Court (Family) Rules and Forms
- BC Supreme Court Civil Rules
- BC Supreme Court Criminal Rules
- Federal Court Rules and Forms
- Supreme Court of Canada Rules
- Court and tribunal decisions