Completed
BC Family Status Legal Research Project
This project focused on the scope and meaning of the ground of “family status” under the BC Human Rights Code.
Under the BC Human Rights Code, as in most jurisdictions in Canada, “family status” is a prohibited ground of discrimination. In some jurisdictions, the term is defined by statute. The term is not defined in the BC Code. As compared with other enumerated grounds, such as sex or race, the meaning of the term “family status” is less self-evident. Added to the Human Rights Code in 1992, the ground has been the subject of limited judicial interpretation and academic engagement as compared with other enumerated grounds. Jurisprudence on the scope and meaning of the term reveals inconsistent interpretations in different jurisdictions in Canada, with some of the most restrictive interpretations coming out of BC. Today, there is some confusion about what kinds of circumstances and actions are captured by the concept of family status discrimination.
In the face of recent confusing jurisprudence and the changing landscape of the family in BC, the BC Family Status Legal Research Project researched and analyzed the family status ground. The BCLI published a Study Paper that thoroughly reviews the legislation and jurisprudence in relation to the family status ground and describes the issues and problems with the family status ground in BC.
The project questioned whether patterns of interpretation reflect contemporary expansive notions of family and respect for diversity and considered the barriers to access to full participation in society faced by different kinds of families. The Study Paper also considered the development of human rights jurisprudence over the years and reflected on the role of human rights codes in fostering equality for families. The paper serves as a resource for academics, advocates, practitioners and decision-makers as well as the general public.
The Study Paper was published in September 2012.
The 2017 paper was prepared by Krista James and published by the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia for the course Human Rights Law Conference, November 2017.
This project was generously funded by the Law Foundation of BC.
Keywords: family status, discrimination, human rights, accommodation, equality, prohibited grounds.
Related Files
Below you will find additional, relevant and specific documentation, backgrounders, research, resources, media releases and summaries that have been, or will be incorporated into our final publications and study papers.
If you have questions about these or other specific documents, please reach out to BCLI using our contact page or at the bottom of each page of our website.
