We believe that access to justice is central to the rule of law and functional democracy. Every person deserves access to the services they need to resolve their legal problems.
We pursue a Mission to increase access to justice in BC, and we subscribe to a number of supporting Objectives and Principles.
Mission
To promote access to justice in British Columbia by providing and fostering quality pro bono legal services for people and non-profit organizations of limited means.
Objectives
- To relieve poverty by fostering, organizing and providing quality pro bono legal services to individuals and organizations of limited means.
- To facilitate access to justice by persons and organizations of limited means, and to promote and strengthen the provision of pro bono legal services in British Columbia.
- To provide training, resources and information to individuals and organizations facilitating access to justice or providing pro bono legal services.
- To conduct research into issues which relate to access to justice, the provision of pro bono legal services and volunteerism in the legal sector.
Principles
- Pro bono legal services are those legal services that are provided to people and non-profit organizations of limited means without expectation of a fee.
- Pro bono legal services should be designed and provided according to the changing social and legal needs of the people and non-profit organizations of limited means for whom they are intended.
- Pro bono legal services should be provided to people and organizations of limited means according to the same standards of dedication, excellence, and professional ethics as paid legal services.
- Pro bono legal services should serve to complement and not replace government-funded programs advancing access to justice; a collaborative pro bono system should not substitute for a properly funded legal aid system.