Legal aid in British Columbia is in crisis. Our government has a record of under-funding this essential service. The situation is now worse than ever. Many groups have now joined together to express their concern. Legal aid is a service that helps poor people pay for a lawyer so that they can access the justice system to obtain their rights.
Legal aid is essential to maintain the rule of law - one of the cornerstones of democracy.
The single mother who requires an advocate to secure money for the support of her children. The battered woman in a transition home who requires protection from a violent spouse. The mentally ill street person who requires the assistance of a lawyer within the court system. We are more than sensitive to the fact that government cannot provide all things to all people. However, there is a specific source of tax money more than adequate to provide the government with enough money to completely pay for legal aid in this province.