Legal Assistance
Legal services and resources are available to help you through the criminal justice system. This section guides you to some of them.
Lawyers
To find a lawyer or speak to someone to determine whether you need a lawyer, contact the Lawyer Referral Service - The Canadian Bar Association.
Legal Aid
To find out if you qualify for free legal advice or representation, visit Legal Aid - Legal Services Society.
Crown Counsel and Defence Counsel
Defence counsel is a lawyer who represents a person charged with committing a crime.
Crown counsel is a lawyer who presents the case against the person charged. Crown counsel are public servants. They do not represent the police or victim, but represent the community as a whole.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer appointed to keep the peace. JPs can perform specific court duties, such as conducting trials, issuing court warrants and many other services. JPs do not require formal legal education. For more information, please visit: Justices of the Peace - Provincial Court of B.C. website.
Representing Yourself
To find legal information if you are representing yourself in a criminal case, please visit: Legal Help and Information if You Represent Yourself - Justice Education Society website.
Youth Legal Resources
For legal services and resources for youth, please visit the Youth Services.
Aboriginal Legal Resources
For legal services and resources for Aboriginal people, please visit: Aboriginal Legal Resources.
Click Law
For online information regarding legal services and resources, please visit: Clicklaw. Search Clicklaw’s HelpMap to find free and low-cost legal services in your community.
