Jamie Maclaren, QC: “It is time to move beyond speculation and anecdotal information in redesigning legal aid services”
Over the past several years, much has been said about BC’s Legal Aid system ... much of it negative. To the governments credit, it recently undertook an external review of Legal Aid Service Delivery in BC ... this by Jamie Maclaren, QC. According to a media release from the Ministry of the Attorney General today, Maclaren’s report follows an external review and public engagement with legal aid users that was conducted in fall 2018. It includes 25 recommendations and identifies which parts of the current service delivery model are working and where investments and changes can be made to improve services for all British Columbians who use legal aid. Legal aid services and systems were analyzed with the objective of determining if there were opportunities for better user outcomes, user experiences and system efficiencies. Maclaren’s review was informed by written submissions from the public, an online survey to lawyers and legal advocates, and personal consulta...