Legal-aid deal provides stability for lawyers and clients, says B.C. attorney general

The British Columbia government has reached an agreement with legal aid lawyers who represent low-income clients.

Attorney General David Eby says the two-and-a-half-year deal with the Association of Legal Aid Lawyers and the Legal Aid Society will ensure better access to legal support and more stability for lawyers who have been giving services at below cost.

Eby says the lawyers who help some of the most vulnerable people had not seen a wage increase since 2006 and that in itself was "troubling."

The new agreement includes rate increases and will also allow for more duty counsel to provide advice on family and criminal matters. The province will open more facilities where clients canuse computers and printers.

The deal sets a minimumlevel of service to ensure clients can access lawyers during future negotiations.

Eby says cutbacks to legal aid in 2002 led to backlogs, delays and people representing themselves in court, while the number of legal-aid cases dropped from more than 47,000 to less than 30,000 under the former Liberal government.