June 2023 Newsletter: News from the BCLI!
June 15, 2023
BY Taja De Silva
A word from our Executive Director
We are happy to welcome Kelly Melnyk to our team as our Canadian Centre for Elder Law Director! Most recently, she was the supervising lawyer at the Thompson Rivers University Community Legal Clinic. Kelly is also a sessional instructor at TRU, where she teaches Elder Law and Wills and Estates Law. We are looking forward to Kelly continuing the excellent work of the CCEL, and digging deeper to develop legal tools and reforms that will will help address issues related to our aging population.
We also welcome Meghan Little as a summer intern on our Reconciling Crown Legal Frameworks program. Meghan is entering her second year of law school at U of T. Her work with us is supported through a public interest fellowship program at U of T Law.
We recently bid farewell to our articling student, Sara Pon. Prior to articling with BCLI, Sara had been a researcher for us. Sara did tremendous work for us over the past few years – authoring and anchoring many of our CCEL projects and stepping in as needed on many of our activities. We wish Sara well as she joins Seniors First BC.
Karen Campbell Executive Director, BCLI
@kcvancouver
[email protected]
Come join our Board! The BCLI has two vacancies for positions appointed by the CBABC. Each appointment is for a three-year term, interested lawyers have until July 5th to apply. One position commences immediately; the other position commences in February 2024. For more information visit the CBABC website.
Karen Campbell and Megan Vis-Dunbar attended the Federation of Law Reform Agencies of Canada (FOLRAC) conference, held in-person for the first time since 2019, in Toronto in early June. The conference was an opportunity to share strategies and network with representatives from our counterparts working on law reform initiatives in Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Québec and Nova Scotia. Check out our blog post to learn more.
In early, June, Greg Blue, KC, made a presentation on BCLI’s publication, Undue Influence Recognition & Prevention: A Guide for Legal Practitioners, at the CBABC 2023 Wills and Estates Conference in Richmond, BC. He was joined by Geoff White, KC, one of the volunteers who contributed to this project. The Guide is one of BCLI’s most well-known and frequently-cited publications.
Megan Vis-Dunbar recently delivered a presentation on CCEL’s Supporting Vulnerable Victims and Witnesses project. We were pleased to participate in this year’s Victims and Survivors of Crime Week initiative, organized by the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario. We are grateful for funding from the Department of Justice Canada for this project. You can find a recording of the presentation available online.
Law360 Canada published an article about the recent introduction of the Money Judgment Enforcement Act in the legislative assembly. The article cites recommendations from BCLI’s Report on the Uniform Civil Enforcement of Money Judgments Act as the basis for the new legislation, which will “streamline the process of collecting money through courts and tribunals.”
KELLY MELNYK
Marking 20 Years and World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: Thoughts from our New CCEL Director
MEGAN VIS-DUNBAR
Connecting on Law Reform Initiatives at the Federation of Law Reform Agencies Canada (FOLRAC)
TAJA DE SILVA
BCLI Congratulates New Recipients of the King’s Counsel Designation (KC)
