THE ADVOCATE 225
VOL. 79 PART 2 MARCH 2021
NEWS FROM
BC LAW INSTITUTE
By Bénédicte Schoepflin*
After a busy past year focused on research, consultation and writing, the
British Columbia Law Institute (“BCLI”) looks forward to sharing several
exciting reports and study papers in the next few months. We kick off the
new year with two BCLI reports set for publication in spring 2021. Here is
an overview of the projects, both led by staff lawyer Kevin Zakreski, and a
sneak preview of the key issues addressed in our reports.
REPORT ON PENSION DIVISION: A REVIEW OF PART 6 OF THE FAMILY LAW
ACT
This report marks the end of BCLI’s two-year project to review pension division
on the breakdown of a spousal relationship and recommend any
changes needed to improve its governing legislation, which is Part 6 of the
Family Law Act.
BCLI began its Pension Division Review Project in early 2019 with support
from the B.C. Ministry of Attorney General. One of the first steps in the
project was the formation of a stellar project committee, made up of 12 people
with expertise in family law, pension law, pension administration and
actuarial science. The committee also benefitted greatly from the contribution
of members who are with the B.C. Financial Services Authority and the
Ministries of Attorney General and Finance.
The Pension Division Review Project Committee met 14 times over the
life of the project. The bulk of these meetings consisted of in-depth explorations
of emerging issues in pensions and family law. The committee also
spent considerable time discussing options to reform Part 6 of the Family
* Bénédicte Schoepflin is the communications director for the BC Law Institute (“BCLI”) and the Canadian Centre for Elder
Law (“CCEL”).