This week, the BC Provincial Court and BC Supreme Court announced protocol for speaking in court. Now, everyone is asked to introduce themselves to the court – not only by name but by pronouns and preferred titles.
For some people, these announcements do not seem like big news. It is huge for others. This new protocol means that the courts can better acknowledge people based on how they identify.
This makes for a more respectful and open environment. It makes our courts more inclusive and embraces diversity. In her announcement, the Chief Judge of the BC Provincial Court explained that introducing this measure is meant to improve the experiences within the legal system for gender diverse parties and to avoid uncomfortable tension.
Those assumptions – based on how someone looks, how someone sounds, or how someone’s name appears – can be wrong. When pronouns are used that are inconsistent with a person’s identity, it can inflict harm. Even if there are no bad intentions, mis-gendering a person can be leave them feeling disrespected, dismissed, or alienated.
A new claims process has been launched to compensate individuals who attended Residential Schools as day scholars.
Krista Simon has been appointed to join the Supreme Court Civil and Family Rules Committee to offer advice on new projects and rules that may impact British Columbians’ access to justice.
Victims across the BC province were notified that a nurse that was involved in their perioperative care at BC Women’s Hospital’s gynecological surgical center and did not have a valid nursing license.
A news report from Prince Edward Island says that province could become the first place in Canada where non-disclosure agreements could become limited in cases of sexual misconduct.