Re: “B.C. lawyers urged to do mandatory free legal aid to unclog court system,” Oct. 16.
Equal access to justice through legal services is a fundamental pillar of democracy. Without it, tyranny results: The most affluent people can hire lawyers to wield power over their victims. Due to years of severe legal-aid cutbacks, successive governments have turned B.C. into the Wild Wild West. Welcome to Dodge City 2018.
At ground zero, people like me already know just “how brutal the crisis is.”
As a contract worker, I am still trying to get all of the money owed me by a client who did not pay me for my writing. Except for a service that provides very limited legal help for a low fee, I have no real legal representation to get my money. But the person who is breaking employment laws has a full-time lawyer.
Years ago, when legal aid was funded properly, one of its designated lawyers got my security deposit back from a landlord. Today, I would not have a chance of getting it back.
It is not up to private lawyers to fix this problem. This mess falls directly into the lap of our provincial government. Its duty is to equalize access for every citizen to essential services that ensure a good quality of life, regardless of economic condition.
The NDP needs to fund legal aid properly so every person has an equal chance at getting justice in their life.
Doreen Marion Gee
Victoria
