Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC – The First Nations Summit and Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of BC (NCCABC) today expressed disappointment in the recently released Report of the Public Commission on Legal Aid in British Columbia entitled “Foundation for Change”.
“While the Report acknowledges there are distinctive needs and realities of Aboriginal people with respect to legal aid services, it clearly does not go far enough to address them”, said Chief Doug White of the First Nations Summit Political Executive. “The Commission has called for ‘targeted strategies to meet the needs…of Aboriginal communities…’ and for aboriginal people that is just not good enough. Aboriginal people are going to jail because of cuts to legal aid. Unfortunately this report does not go far enough in recommending increases to legal aid services and meeting the immediate needs for Aboriginal people in BC”, he added.
“Access to justice remains a real and significant challenge for Aboriginal people. We use legal aid in vastly disproportionate numbers, yet we have been shut out of planning for, designing, providing for or studying this essential service”, added Chief White. “At the very least, there should be the implementation of concrete measures for the partnering of Aboriginal people in the provision of this service”, added Chief White.