The issue of how to provide legal representation to the poor is not an issue particular to the United States. Because an increasing number of British Columbians are representing themselves in court, the Canadian Bar Association BC branch is starting a campaign to pressure the government for more legal funding.  CBABC President Sharon Matthews says that the campaign will be fact-based and targeted at the general public. In announcing the campaign Ms. Matthews said,

 “Our research shows that the more the public knows about the real costs of continuing to under fund legal aid, the more supportive they are of legal aid.  People understand that real justice can only be achieved through equal access and that it is our mothers, children and grandparents who are being most negatively impacted by the status quo.  Through our web site and on-line ad campaign we will have real people speaking of their personal experiences in the system.”

The website created by the Canadian Bar Association is first class and worth taking a look at. Their goal is to create, in part through the website, a public engagement campaign. Aside from hoping to increase funding, one other hope of the campaign is to provide a forum for people to speak out about their experiences dealing with BC’s legal system.  Ms. Matthews says self-representation results in more trials, longer trials, and cases being thrown out of court because their cases can’t be heard in time.

Ms. Matthews says the nine years of cut backs in funding for legal services have now created a crisis. She says all British Columbians believe in equal access to justice, and everyone is negatively affected when their system is not available to them.

Featured on the web site is Debbie Abma who says she lost custody of her four children. She had to represent herself in court at the beginning. The Vancouver Sun which covered the announcement pointed out that there are comparable funding numbers for Canadian provinces and US States neither of which are particularly encouraging. 

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Opinion+Underfunded+legal+system+costs+taxpayers+mint+group+says/5553934/story.html

“I think especially when we have people who have been victimized or marginalized by circumstances, no matter what it is, it’s important they have representation.”