Resources for Lawyers and Legal Advocates
Not a lawyer or legal advocate? That's okay! These resources were developed for lawyers and legal advocates, but are available to anyone.
Text Resources
Need a quick introduction to BC’s Mental Health Act? Check out our Fast Facts page.
Representing Clients Impacted by Coercive Mental Health and Substance Use Health Laws: Legal Research and Resource Guide
This guide supports access to justice by providing an overview of legal research and resources for lawyers and advocates representing people facing coercive mental health and substance use health care in British Columbia.
Select the image to read the guide.
Why Have We Left Human Rights Out of Mental Health and Substance Use Health Care? (Continuing Legal Education Society of BC)
This paper provides an overview of human rights issues in BC’s civil involuntary mental health and substance use system, adjudicative oversight, summarized case law, and barriers to human rights enforcement.
Select the image to read the paper.
Health Care Consent Decisions for Minors Impacted by the Mental Health Act in BC
This factsheet provides an overview of the law that governs health care consent decisions for minors impacted by the Mental Health Act.
Select the image to read the guide.
Webinar
"Representing Clients Impacted by Coercive Mental Health and Substance Use Health Laws"
This webinar took place on February 22, 2022.
Every day in BC people experience a loss of liberty or other fundamental rights through civil mental health and substance use health laws. But barriers to accessing legal representation have contributed to a significant access to justice crisis. To strengthen access to justice, Health Justice launched the Legal Research and Resource guide to assist lawyers and legal advocates representing people facing detention and coercive mental health and substance use health care in BC.