September 2023 Newsletter: BCLI Releases Legal Pluralism Primers
September 28, 2023
BY Taja De Silva
A word from our Executive Director
BCLI Releases Legal Pluralism Primers
As we approach Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we at the BCLI are taking time to reflect upon the impacts of residential schools and other harms caused by colonization.
The work of the BCLI supporting implementation of the BC Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act) occurs throughout the year and September is an important time for us to reflect on this commitment to reconciliation. We also wish to express our gratitude for the Indigenous leaders, lawyers and scholars who guide the work of BCLI’s Reconciling Crown Legal Frameworks (RCLF) program.
This week, the BCLI has released three primers on legal pluralism:
- Primer 3, Legal Pluralism in Canada explores the way in which the Canadian state has always managed coexisting sources of law.
- Primer 4, Legal Pluralism: Indigenous Legal Orders & Other State Jurisdictions explores how other state jurisdictions have built frameworks for managing coexisting state and Indigenous laws.
- Primer 5, Legal Pluralism: Indigenous Legal Orders & Canadian State Law explores interactions between different systems of law and jurisdiction in Canada by looking at: 1) Indigenous legal orders and 2) the Canadian state and Indigenous legal orders. We are happy to have the opportunity to collaborate with the Indigenous Law Research Unit at the University of Victoria on this publication.
These primers examine how applying a legal pluralist lens to our systems of law can help to understand existing arrangements and build respectful relationships between legal orders. We believe these primers will help to consider ways in which BC’s Crown legal frameworks can evolve to ensure consistency with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
2022 Annual Report
Our 2022 Annual Report is now available on our website. The report provides an overview of our projects and highlights from the year 2022.
Karen Campbell Executive Director, BCLI
@kcvancouver
[email protected]
Undue Influence Recognition and Prevention Guide Update Project
We have released a new video called: “Why the New Undue Influence Guide is important to your practice”. This video explains why our “Undue Influence Recognition and Prevention: A Guide for Legal Practitioners” is an important resource for those who draft wills and other personal planning documents.
AI and Civil Liability Project
Our Consultation Paper on Artificial Intelligence and Civil Liability, which proposes draft recommendations to modernize tort law to deal with the challenges of AI, remains open for comment until the extended date of November 1st, 2023. Please send comments to <[email protected]>.
MEGAN VIS-DUNBAR
Latest Reconciliation Primers Explore Legal Pluralism
GREG BLUE
BCLI Remembers Donovan Waters, KC FRSC 1928-2023
KELLY MELNYK
Inspiring Conversations About Elder Law: The 2023 Canadian Elder Law Conference and CCEL
