Wednesday, April 11, 1984 Legal aid must be preserved because it ranks in importance in our society with ‘education, health, public safety, and even. the right to vote, says the Law Society of British Columbia. The society, representing the province’s 5,200 lawyers ~and. 430 articling students, made. a* strong’ plea for preservation of the legal aid system in-a brief presented to the .~attorney-general’s task. force. on ~ publicly- funded legal services. The provincial gover- nment. has reduced funding drastically for legal aid as part: of its. restraint ‘program, but the = society says this action jeopardizes a poor. citizen’s fun- damental right to. have equal access to the justice system. “Tf our tice system is interests. are. advanced,’’ a society spokesman says. ‘‘Lawyers can ensure the balance in all instances. of inequality: except. one: poverty. Poverty is the only handicap with which the legal. .system. cannot cope, and..it is the one..which threatens its’ integrity the most. “In the -society’s: view equal access to the justice system cannot. be rationed, or priorized, to fit each year’s ministerial votes. _ _‘*The: principle of equal access to the justice system must be - legislatively. en- trenched in.such a way that it cannot be diluted in times of economic. restraint or political conservatism.’”: The. society ..also . says funds contributed by the federal government under cost-sharing agreements with the provinces: should mitment to the. public in- terest -has an obvious: ap- plication to free legal. aid, the society’s. brief . points out. | “The public. interest~ is served when individual rights. are protected and - when ‘there is equal access to the justice system. To the extent. that those two benchmarks: slip, we. fail in our. paramount duty to protect the public interest.’’ Asa result . of. that commitment, members of the society have led the way in: pioneering: legal. aid. in B.C. for half-a-century by donating «their time and subsidizing this. essential service. in~.a.- substantial manner. In 1983, the. society. says, the. provincial government contributed: less. than $8 million to the Legal Services “Society: During that same THE REVIEW This subsidy arises, the society said, because a lawyer acting on legal aid receives only about. one- quarter. of. the fee. privately-retained. . lawyer receives for the same case. In 1982-83, the Legal Services Society paid out about $7 million-in fees to criminal law. practitioners. If those lawyers had ‘been. paid in line with the survey of average fees they would have received $28. million. Fhey.-subsidized the legal ‘aid program by $21 million. - “In other .words, the criminal bar contributes to legal aid nearly three times the total ‘amount which the provincial -. government allocates. to. the Legal Services -Society,’’ the society says. “If-we add to. that the similar . disparity: between the family law tariff and the average fees. charged. by other areas of law receive no fee whatsoever, we begin to appreciate the un- paralleled contribution the legal profession makes to this fundamental ~ social service.”? ‘The. «society. says. the integrity. of the justice system - depends... on» equal access to justice. If people cannot. ‘find: justice within the system, they will look for it outside the law. “Society ‘must’ pay (for legal aid) not. because we ~ ~ like defending. people accused of crimes, and not because we enjoy mediating family. violence, -but because. to. not. .do™ so jeopardizes. not’ only ‘our justice .system. but our. society’s values.’° Inthe ‘last. analysis, a proper and thorough legal fundamental -aid system is in the. best interest. of all. citizens Page BS Meeting at Sanscha Hall Sidney and. North Saanich Community. Hall Association. plans a general meeting 7:30 p.m. April 18 in Sanscha Hall. On: the agenda —_— budget discussions. All. welcome, coffee served. GERRY PETERS MASONRY ro. ALL TYPES OF MASONRY WORK 7 BRICK or STONE 8093 ALEC RD 652-2251 | Serving the Peninsula for over Twenty Years NOTICE EFFECTIVE APRIL 9, 1984 OUR STORE HOURS WILL BE: MONDAY - SATURDAY 9 am to 6 pm CLOSED SUNDAYS & HOLIDAYS BRENTWOOD BAY PHARMACY 7181 W. SAANICH RD. 656-1821 | APPLIANCE REPAIRS oWASHERS eDRYERS RANGES etc 652-2035 AGENTS FOR: ae OAKVIEW SATELLITE SYSTEMS| privately-retained family ’ because it protects.our free law: practitioners, and the. and. democratic way of life, fact that lawyers accepting... the society’s brief con- cludes. to operate efficiently, and is go directly into the legal aid to have credibility, it must - program, and not. into. - be balanced in .the .sense consolidated revenue. - that each litigant’s legal The . lawyers’ com- period the legal profession subsidized legal aid by more than $20 million in criminal, law alone. legal. aid referrals in all. | When you want to we ‘you want oe oe eS Hospice Victoria is a. care, - physicians, -coun- emotional. support to the ‘crisis volunteer when the and grieving. Regular, on- |” community. program. ‘sellors, nurses, volunteers, dying and grieving. The © patient has only a few hours. going © education — and _ operated by the Victoria. homeinakers and clerey.: volunteer may assist. with to liveand may have regular. support is also. given. _, Hospice Society, previa ~The hospice. in-patient personal care and help ‘contact. with a. bereaved — Volunteering at: hospice. oe comprehensive © care. unit. at the Royal | Jubilee : provide ~ life-enhancing. person for up to a year after. provides an opportunity. for - people with. .a°-tern ital a _ activities. ER Ce ee — the death of aloved one. “their ‘their: friends: and : Ospi i -ge18 Fifth St. to a. huge cliff; ompass. the world and. ‘destroy it. ‘Each year. the monster’s minions encircle. -the globe, keeping a record - of the number of decorated “eggs (which the: Ukrainians. Ca ‘call ‘pysanky”’) made. eh When there are few, the erases monister’s chains loosen, Heb and: evil: flows. When there yo lare- many, “the monster “| premains. chained and. love ws ules the world, a — » On April 15 the Victoria ~ ¢ community is invited to the | \°-. Ukrainian.Cultural Centre, | |. 93277 Douglas St, to learn -. fabout’ this and © other. Ukrainian Easter’ re * traditions, The third annual open house, which. takes ~ E place. between. noon. and “five ‘p.m., will’ feature é displays of arts and crafts, films, slide. shows, “demonstrations: of. easter bread making and caster ’ egg writing. eee Roe Most. importantly, spas visitors, ‘both’ ‘young » ‘and < a oe Sold, will: haves an: op: — ponunity, to take part ina “mine -course in egg writing, : “Shitley” Stasiuk: of Vane: ee couver Will’ provide ine oo struction in. this centuries.” ‘old: Ukrainian art.and ‘your.