• Supporting earlier resolution in civil, family B.C. Supreme Court matters

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-14 18:30:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Justice, Governance]

  Effective October 1, 2026, the Supreme Court of British Columbia will implement a new "serve, then file" process for civil and family chambers applications, as recommended by the Supreme Court Civil and Family Rules Committee. Under this amended procedure overseen by Attorney General Niki Sharma, parties must exchange application materials and attempt resolution before booking a court hearing or filing documents with the court registry. The regulatory change aims to decrease unnecessary hearings and adjournments for matters such as parenting arrangements, child support, property disputes, and money owed, while improving overall access to justice. Litigants can utilize government-provided free resources, including the Virtual Counter and Justice Access Centres, to navigate the updated court rules and procedures.

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• Upgrading B.C.’s intersection cameras to help prevent crashes, keep people safe

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-10 18:30:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Infrastructure, Transportation, Public Safety, Justice]

  The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is replacing all 140 intersection safety cameras across the province with modern technology under a $67 million contract awarded to Jenoptik Canada. The multi-year replacement project, running in phases until spring 2027, involves minor road and sidewalk work at approximately 90 locations to update high-risk intersections in regions such as Metro Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna, and Prince George. The upgrade is supported by updates to regulations under the Motor Vehicle Act to maintain enforcement against red-light running and speeding infractions. Net ticket revenue from the camera program continues to be returned to B.C. municipalities to support policing and public-safety initiatives.

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• Access zones in place to protect students, staff this school year

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-08 14:00:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Education, Public Safety, Justice]

  The Government of British Columbia has reaffirmed the activation of access zones for K-12 public and independent schools under the Safe Access to Schools Act to protect students and staff from disruptive behaviours and protests. These access zones span a 20-metre radius around school properties and remain active from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, as well as during any extracurricular activities. Since their initial activation on May 31, 2024, the Ministry of Education and Child Care has logged 25 protest disruptions, including five at K-12 public schools throughout the 2025-26 school year. In spring 2026, the provincial government extended the repeal date of the Safe Access to Schools Act from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2028.

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• Strengthening supports for survivors of intimate-partner violence

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-03 18:00:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, National, Justice, Social Services, Indigenous, Public Safety]

  The British Columbia Ministry of Attorney General is receiving more than $3 million in funding for the 2026-27 fiscal year under the federal National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence to advance recommendations from the 2025 Stanton Report. The funding will expand the Safe Supports Project in rural and northern communities, add up to three family court support workers, develop public-awareness strategies, review behaviour-change programs for men and boys, and advance the B.C. First Nations Justice Strategy by funding the Indigenous Justice Centres' Aunties Program. These investments complement B.C.'s broader Safe and Supported Gender-Based Violence Action Plan, which includes over $60 million annually provided by the Province to support approximately 475 victim-service and violence-against-women programs.

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• Attorney general’s statement on new legal filings related to Tumbler Ridge tragedy

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-02 21:50:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Justice, Technology, Public Safety]

  British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma announced provincial support for new legal filings against OpenAI by families and survivors affected by the February 10, 2026, tragedy in Tumbler Ridge. The provincial government is actively exploring separate legal options in British Columbia and California to hold OpenAI and its leadership, including CEO Sam Altman and Ann O'Leary, accountable for failing to notify law enforcement regarding explicit, flagged threats made by the perpetrator on the ChatGPT platform. Additionally, the province is coordinating parallel legal processes and working to secure support for community rebuilding efforts, including the construction of a new Tumbler Ridge school facility.

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• Partnering with Washington state to keep people in B.C. safer

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-01 21:30:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Public Safety, Justice]

  British Columbia and Washington state law enforcement officials held the annual Pacific Region Cross-Border Law Enforcement Forum in Esquimalt on September 1, 2026, to coordinate strategies against transnational organized crime, extortion, and the illicit drug trade. The forum builds on a 2024 memorandum of agreement and highlights initiatives such as the B.C. Extortion Task Force, Operation Hard Ball led by the FBI and federal RCMP, and B.C.'s Track and Trace digital pilot project. Under Budget 2026, the B.C. government has committed a $139-million investment over three years to strengthen public safety and address repeat offending.

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• Attorney general’s statement on Meta settlement, need for safeguards in Canada

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-08-31 18:30:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, National, Technology, Justice, Public Safety]

  British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma released a public statement demanding that Meta Platforms, Inc. immediately implement the same youth online safety protections in Canada that the company agreed to deploy for users under 18 in the United States under an $18-billion settlement. The U.S. settlement involves allegations that Meta's platforms contributed to harms experienced by children and youth and misled the public about product safety, prompting mandatory safeguards including age-related content restrictions, age-verification measures, and usage-reduction features. Attorney General Sharma emphasized that B.C. is urging Meta to fix its platforms in Canada without waiting for the outcomes of active lawsuits, while highlighting the province's past advocacy and legislative actions including the Intimate Images Protection Act and the federal Safe Social Media Act.

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