May 2025 Newsletter: News from the BCLI!
May 20, 2025
BY British Columbia Law Institute
BCLI Releases Study Paper on Economic Abuse and Family Business and Report on Public Hearing Reform
We pleased to share the release of BCLI’s latest study paper and report: Study Paper on Understanding Economic Abuse through Family Businesses in Family Law Cases and Report on Renovating the Public Hearing.
Report on Renovating the Public Hearing
The report released in April includes recommendations related to the operation of this legal framework. Public hearings are currently the only formal process that allow people to voice their opinions on proposed changes to local land use, offering local governments a direct connection to their citizens’ views. However, in late 2023, the Province of British Columbia enacted legislation to limit their use, responding to criticisms about public hearings.
The report’s recommendations address the scope of the legislative requirement to hold a public hearing. They consider when a public hearing should or should not be required, encourage local governments to adopt other forms of public engagement—guided by principles-based guidance from the provincial government—and recommend maintaining existing legislation regarding the timing and procedures of public hearings.
Read the report here.
Study Paper on Understanding Economic Abuse Through Family Businesses in Family Law Cases
Economic abuse is a form of family violence that can have serious legal implications, particularly during family breakdown. When a family business is involved, it can become a tool for family violence—used to control, manipulate, or deprive a partner of financial resources. Recognizing this form of violence is important for legal professionals to ensure just and fair outcomes. Yet, this issue remains underexplored in legal literature and case law.
This study paper aims to deepen understanding of how economic abuse occurs through family businesses, how it is currently addressed (or overlooked) in family law, and the challenges that arise in responding to it.
Read the study paper here.
Congratulations to several members of the BCLI community who are among the twenty-nine lawyers receiving the King’s Counsel (KC) designation for 2024. Special congratulations to Mary Childs (Escheat Act Committee), Grant Haddock (Leaseholds Committee), and Tom Spraggs (former board chair), who have all contributed their time and expertise as valued BCLI volunteers. We also extend warm congratulations to Christina Cook, a collaborator on our Reconciling Crown Legal Frameworks program, and Raji Mangat, Executive Director of West Coast LEAF and a grantee through the Law Foundation of BC. Read the announcement from the Ministry of Attorney General here.
Our staff lawyer Marie Ong and communications manager Ken Chau attended the Police Victim Services of BC Symposium in May. Marie spoke about our Study Paper on Supporting Witnesses and Vulnerable Victims which was released in 2023. We also hosted a booth to share information about our BCLI publications.
In April, our senior staff lawyer Greg Blue was a guest panelist at STEP Canada (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners), where he spoke about our Undue Influence Recognition and Prevention Guide which was released in 2022. He was joined by former committee members Emily Clough and Peter Chan. The session attracted 50 STEP members and highlighted practical tools for identifying and addressing undue influence in estate planning.
Photo credit: STEP Canada
In March, our executive director Karen Campbell and staff lawyer Alison Wilkinson attended the Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Family Law Conference and TRU Law Career Fair, where we hosted a booth to showcase our work and connect with participants interested in family law and law reform. We were pleased to have the opportunity to participate in the TRU Family Law Conference and to engage with the TRU law community to share more about BCLI and our law reform initiatives.
Our staff lawyers Marie Ong and Megan Vis-Dunbar also attended West Coast LEAF Equality Breakfast, joined together at the same table with other public-interest legal organizations, to celebrate International Women’s Day at this inspiring annual event.
