The legal community in British Columbia is concerned about the potential impact of a new law that aims to modernize the regulation of lawyers in the province. The proposed law would establish a single legal regulator for lawyers, notaries, and paralegals, with the goal of improving access to legal services and streamlining regulation. However, there are concerns about government overreach and the potential loss of the Law Society of BC, which currently sets professional standards and disciplines lawyers independently.
Are the walls closing in on an independent legal system in B.C. ? That is the fear coming from the legal community as the B.C. Attorney General contemplates finalizing a new law to “modernize” the regulation of lawyers in this province.
At issue is the development of a new single legal regulator that will encapsulate not just lawyers, but notaries and paralegals under one umbrella, with the stated goal of expanding access to basic legal services and making regulation more streamlined for the public. As such, the Law Society of BC, which sets professional standards and disciplines lawyers via independent hearing panels, would no longer exist under its present format, exclusive to lawyers. It’s a move that the society itself is generally in favour of but longstanding concerns about government overreach have not been addressed and legislation proposals are in their 11th hour with B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma set to table a bill this sprin
B.C. Legal Regulation Lawyers Notaries Paralegals Law Society Of BC Government Overreach
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