Legal Resources

Find websites and materials written in plain language.

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Steps in a Criminal Case

Provincial Court of British Columbia
Explains the steps of a criminal case, with links to details about the bail hearing, the initial appearance, the arraignment hearing, the preliminary hearing, the Provincial Court trial, and sentencing.
Last reviewed October 2024
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Traffic, Ticket, Bylaw

Provincial Court of British Columbia
This section of the BC Provincial Court website has information and guides for dealing with provincial violation tickets, federal contravention tickets, and municipal tickets.
Last reviewed September 2024
Emblem featuring a detailed coat of arms with a lion and a unicorn flanking a shield.

Indigenous Sentencing Courts

Provincial Court of British Columbia
Explains Indigenous Courts including court locations, how they work, and their goals.
Last reviewed September 2024
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Parole Board — Publications and Forms

Parole Board of Canada
The Parole Board of Canada is an independent group that makes decisions about early release, record suspensions, and clemency. They help reintegrate offenders into society while focusing on public safety. Includes information for victims of crime.
Last reviewed September 2024
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Section 810

Prisoners’ Legal Services
The Criminal Code of Canada allows a judge or justice of the peace to require you to enter a recognizance (like a peace bond) if there are reasons to believe you will commit certain serious crimes. This booklet explains the 810 process, what your rights are, and how to get legal help.
Last reviewed September 2024
Thumbnail of the handbook cover featuring a collage of different families engaging in activities, with the AFCC-BC logo and title text above.

AFCC-BC Parenting Plan Guide

AFCC-BC (Association of Family and Conciliation Courts’ Provisional BC Chapter)
A guide for parents and professionals across BC to create parenting plans that focus on what’s best for the child and appropriate for their development. A parenting plan is a written agreement between parents about how they‘ll raise their children if they separate or get divorced, setting out how to share responsibilities and time with the kids.
Last reviewed September 2024
Logo featuring the letters FIPA, the words "your data your rights" and small coloured squares representing pixels.

Your Political Privacy

Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA)
This resource provides basic information about your privacy rights in elections. It covers who has access to your personal information in an election, what information they have, how they're allowed to use it, how you can protect it, and what to do if you think your privacy rights have been violated.
Last reviewed September 2024
Thumbnail of the handbook cover showing a child walking across a rainbow-toned ground. The Lawyers Against Transphobia logo is placed at the bottom.

Protecting Our Schools: A Handbook to Address Transphobia in Education

Lawyers Against Transphobia
A detailed guide to help school boards, staff, and students fight transphobia in schools. It was created by Lawyers Against Transphobia, a group of about 50 lawyers, teachers, parents, and justice workers, whose goal is to tackle transphobia by working within the legal system and with the media, and responding to transphobic incidents as they...
Last reviewed September 2024
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Complaint and Review Mechanisms

Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA)
This resource provides basic information about your options to make a complaint to authorities if you feel your privacy or access-to-information rights have been infringed upon. It includes what to do if you have an access-to-information or privacy issue with a BC public body or BC organization, or a federal body.
Last reviewed September 2024
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Your Health Information

Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA)
This resource provides basic information about your health information rights. It explains how your health information is used throughout the health system, health information confidentiality rights, the laws relating to health privacy information, who can access your health record, and more.
Last reviewed September 2024