Supreme Court of British Columbia Education Seminar

Overview

This seminar involved a range of topics related to substantive law, judicial skills, the social context of judging, and courtroom and trial management.

Objectives

The objectives of this course were to improve the participants’ substantive knowledge and skills with regard to: digital evidence; addiction and the opioid crisis; stress and mindfulness; the law of contempt; family violence and parenting assessments.

Summary

Led by senior judges and masters, experienced practitioners, legal academics, medical and scientific experts, and members of the community, and presented through a combination of presentations and interactive discussions, the program addressed: the search and seizure of digital evidence under s. 8 of the Charter and its admissibility under the rules of evidence; the opioid crisis in British Columbia and the nature of opioid addiction and treatment; how the brain is affected by stress and the impact of mindfulness; the law of contempt and the options availability to judges short of a contempt declaration; and potential family violence issues that can arise in contested family law cases and the use of parenting assessments under s. 211 of the B.C. Family Law Act.