The Continuing Legal Education Society of BC shone a (CLEBC) spotlight on Brown Henderson Melbye family law lawyer Suzanne Williams. Suzanne has been a long time contributor to legal education at CLEBC. She was chair of the third Access to Justice for Children Conference on March 6, 2020.
The Conference focused on the Best Interests of the Child principle. This is the only consideration for family law arrangements concerning children under s. 37 of the BC Family Law Act. It is also a guiding principle in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Judges, lawyers, medical and psychological experts as well as young people themselves contributed to the Conference program which included panels on:
- best interests of the child and the law
- healthy child development
- non-discrimination
- child participation including legal representation for young people in family law proceedings
A consistent message from all speakers was the need to hear from young people early in family matters: really hear them. In most cases this leads to better decision-making (by the adults) for both the young person and their family.
Read more about the CLEBC Spotlight on Suzanne Williams
And the Third CLEBC Access to Justice for Children Conference