Legal Aid BC

Legal Aid BC (formerly the Legal Services Society[1]) is the legal aid provider in British Columbia, Canada.

Services are available for family (separation/divorce and child protection/removal), criminal law matters, and refugee applications,[2] and include legal information, advice, or representation, depending on the client’s legal problem.[3]

Legal Aid BC is a non-profit organization governed by a nine-member board of directors. While the provincial government is its primary funder, the society remains independent of government. It also receives funding from other sources, including the Law Foundation of British Columbia and the Notary Foundation of British Columbia. Provincial funding has declined over the past two decades, significantly impacting the Society's services and operations (see below).

Former Attorney-General of Ontario Michael Bryant was the chief executive officer of Legal Aid BC from January 17, 2022, to April 9, 2024, when Salman Azam took on the role of Interim CEO. [4]

  1. ^ "Announcing our new name and logo".
  2. ^ "Free legal services available | Legal Aid BC".
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Mulgrew, Ian (October 31, 2021). "Laid flat by 2009 road-rage death, man with hopes to be Ontario premier returns to B.C. as head of Legal Aid". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved February 17, 2022.