434 THE ADVOCATE
VOL. 80 PART 3 MAY 2022
ent gap between the public’s need for legal services and its ability to access
them.
This mixed history and long-delayed reform, coupled with opportunity
presented by the arrival of the Cayton Report, suggests strongly that the
time has come to revisit this important question of governance over legal
services that has important implications for access to justice, as well as the
quality and availability of legal services in our province.
On March 1, 2022, I wrote to the presidents of the Law Society and the
Society of Notaries Public, outlining several proposed changes to the existing
regulatory framework. Specifically, the provincial government seeks to
establish a new legal services regulator that maintains independence from
government and also:
• regulates all legal professionals in British Columbia under a single
statute;
• has a mandate that clarifies its duty to protect the public, including
the public’s interest in accessing legal services and advice;
• works pursuant to a modern regulatory framework that is consistent
with best practices in professional regulatory governance; and
• sets out clearly defined scopes of practice for each regulated profession
with procedures to allow for expanded scopes as needed.
Ministry of Attorney General staff have begun working with the Law Society,
the Society of Notaries Public and representatives of the paralegal profession
to lay the groundwork for an important engagement to refine the
specifics of these changes and inform legislative drafting.
Incidentally, I also learned from CBABC President Clare Jennings at the
New Westminster bar dinner (virtual) that the CBABC is conducting a
province-wide engagement on the future of legal profession governance
open to all members of the profession. Their timely feedback will certainly
help inform this important work. More information on the CBABC engagement
process is available on the CBABC’s website.
BRITISH COLUMBIA’S NEW DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: SHANNON
SALTER
I am pleased to introduce British Columbia’s new Deputy Attorney General
to Advocate readers. Shannon Salter has had many impressive accomplishments
throughout her career, including eight years as chair of the Civil Resolution
Tribunal, Canada’s first online tribunal. Internationally recognized
for her legal policy work, she has also served in a variety of other roles