An “informal” trial process is being tested as part of new court rules meant to resolve legal matters more quickly. The pilot project, developed by the Ministry of Attorney General and B.C.’s provincial court, started in Kamloops last month.
“There are a lot of aspects to the pilot that I think really, really work. I think almost every aspect of this pilot is very much worth investigating and assessing, and if it’s positive, I would personally be really excited to see it rolled out to more registries,” Shannon said.Article content “It has certain features of a traditional court process that I think are protective for survivors,” Shannon said.
“The pilot is being monitored by the project team on an ongoing basis and evaluation planning is underway,” it said in an emailed statement. “I think it’s really important for the judges to emphasize to people that this is voluntary, that it’s only going to be if you consent to it,” she said. “It’s going to be a more open process and I think that can work well for self-represented people.
MacDougall said research has found that mediation in legal proceedings involving victims of intimate partner violence “should not be used and should not be suggested.”