A B.C. Dad Who Couldn’t Afford A Lawyer Or Get Legal Aid Lost Access To His Kids

The B.C. Court of Appeal found that a Supreme Court judge’s decision was influenced by a fraudulent expert witness, despite the fact that she lacked credentials and never actually interviewed the father or the children.

The result? Kids who have been separated from their father for five years.

READ PART 1: How ‘flawed’ B.C. court rulings tore 4 kids away from their dad for 5 years and counting

READ PART 2: The B.C. judge who ‘ignored evidence,’ ‘erred in law’ and put a ministry under fire

READ PART 3: The family lawyer whose zealous advocacy missed ‘obvious red flags’ and helped an unfair trial proceed

bit.ly/2TC13Xj via @globalnews

The Family Lawyer Whose Zealous Advocacy Missed ‘Obvious Red Flags’ And Helped An Unfair Trial Proceed

From the time of the ancient Greeks up to now, the legal tradition has relied on the concept of an advocate to represent the accused.

The rules have changed with time but one idea has remained: a lawyer’s responsibility is to fight tooth and nail for their client.

But what responsibilities do lawyers have to the court system? And does winning at any cost serve children at the centre of family disputes?

READ MORE: B.C. government says judge ignored evidence

READ PART 1: How ‘flawed’ B.C. court rulings tore 4 kids away from their dad for 5 years and counting

READ PART 2: The B.C. judge who ‘ignored evidence,’ ‘erred in law’ and put a ministry under fire

bit.ly/2VaWF2Y via @globalnews

The BC Judge Who ‘Ignored Evidence,’ ‘Erred In Law’ And Put A Ministry Under Fire – BC

The stunning reversal of a shocking B.C. Supreme Court decision is raising questions about a judge’s ability to do his job.

In August, the B.C. Court of Appeal threw out lower court decision from Justice Paul Walker that found a father had sexually abused his kids, and that the children’s ministry allowed it to happen.

The mother, J.P., and father, B.G., in the case cannot be named due to a publication ban.
READ PART 1: How ‘flawed’ B.C. court rulings tore 4 kids away from their dad for 5 years and counting

bit.ly/2LRfZxR via @globalnews

How ‘Flawed’ B.C. Court Rulings Tore 4 Kids Away From Their Dad For 5 Years And Counting

In August, B.C.’s highest court delivered a stunning reversal of a lower court decision that found the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) allowed a father to sexually abuse his kids.

The court found one judge, presiding over two separate but connected cases, relied on the evidence of a fraudulent expert to not only tear four children away from their father, but to malign the reputations of psychologists, social workers, and the children’s ministry itself.

From the moment B.C. Supreme Court Justice Paul Walker delivered his July 2015 blow to MCFD, the story of J.P., her ex-husband B.G. (whose full names cannot be revealed because of a publication ban) and their four children has gripped people’s attention across the province.

bit.ly/2Fb2FmA via @globalnews

Prostitution Expert Doesn’t Like What She Sees In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside

From the Downtown Eastside to the Whalley strip to various “backpage” websites, women continue to sell sex. Whether they should be selling sex has been a long-standing debate that continues to rage today.

Organizations like the Pivot Legal Society argue this is a job like any other, and that the women deserve laws that make their work safer.

Advocacy groups like Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter argue the industry abuses human rights and should be stopped. The country’s current prostitution laws are tricky to understand, and don’t make either side happy. In 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the country’s prostitution laws, in a case led by former dominatrix Terri-Jean Bedford, a ruling that was celebrated by groups like Pivot.

bit.ly/2AuewsS via @VancouverSun