Pat’s Finds 2005
A Compilation of the Monthly News Letter
RESOURCES
Our Welfare, Our Laws-a video
Though not dedicated to Women it explains key policies and laws about Welfare in BC (Effective March 2004). Great reenactment of a Tribunal hearing and what is involved to get ready for an appeal
Produced by North Island Advocacy Coalition Society and Solo Productions the video is available from Legal Services Society.
Single copies free contact LSS for bulk orders
http://www.lss.bc.ca/pubs_bySubject/welfare.asp
Telephone 604-601-6075
Monarch Place
A new series of 6 pamphlets
1. God Speaks Against VIOLENCE What Should the Church Do?
2. WHAT Can You Do to Respond to DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
3. HOW Do You Know if a Man is ABUSIVE?
4. How Does DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Affect Families?
5. Are You in an ABUSIVE Relationship?
6. What is DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
Pamphlets are comprehensive and informative.
It is particularly nice to see God Speaks Against VIOLENCE as it uses scripture to refute that abuse is okay and HOW Do You Know if a Man is ABUSIVE as this is something women ask.
For a set and pricing on bulk orders please contact Monarch Place 604-521-1888 or email monarchplace@telus.net.
Publication "Best Practice Approaches - Child Protection
and Violence Against Women" has now been posted on a web site. Here is the link:
http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/publications/child_protection.htm
Rethinking Domestic Violence: A Training Process for Community Activists.
An incredible step-by-step guide to raising awareness about Domestic Abuse. Mostly comprised of Activities to use in groups to raise awareness. Some of the activities need to be slightly altered as this guide comes from Uganda but similarities and usefulness far outweighs differences. Available from www.raisingvoices.org
Vancouver Status of Women Launches the Revised and Updated
Welfare Resource Guide for Women (2nd Edition)
http://www.vsw.ca/welfarebooklet.htm
"Vancouver Status of Women (VSW) launched its 2nd Edition of the Welfare Resource Guide for Women this week. This guide provides updated general information to women about British Columbia's welfare system or Employment and Assistance Regulations within a feminist framework. This Guide is meant to help women apply for welfare, disability, and child benefits, and offers guidance in application or appeal processes. The Guide especially focuses on the needs of single mothers."
Welfare Resource Guide for Women in BC
http://www.vsw.ca/welfarebooklet.htm
Though from the UK a good site for Children
Last month, Women's Aid launched The Hideout - www.thehideout.org.uk - the first national domestic violence website for children and young people. The website has been designed to inform children and young people about domestic violence, help them to identify whether it is happening in their home and signpost them to additional support and information.
The Hideout uses interactive checklists, quizzes and games to help and allow children and young people to think through the issues that surround domestic violence. Safety measures have been built into The Hideout's design to ensure that children and young people can access the site without putting themselves at risk.
Summer Postings for the Ontario Women's Justice Network
http://owjn.org/
** Three new Fact Sheets for Immigrant and Refugee Women:
- What are My Rights?
- What is Woman Abuse?
- Custody Issues
** Two new Q&As:
- Spousal Support
- Division of Property
** Three new Articles on Legal Issues:
- The International Movement of Children: Abduction and the legal travel
of children
- Self Representation as Legal Bullying Strategy: Abusers abusing the
legal system
- Grandmothers and the Law: Access to grandchildren, when parents
separate, grandmothers who are primary caregivers
** Three Reviews:
- StatsCan Shelter Report: Important information for those concerned with
operational and legislative change
- Criminal Court Outcomes in Intimate Partner Homicide Cases: Are murders
handled differently depending upon the relationship between perpetrator
and victim?
- Domestic Violence Death Review Committee Annual Report: Issues that have
been identified before and recommendations previously proposed
Legal Services Society News Letter
Electronic Legal Aid Newsletter (ELAN), is the new community network newsletter oif the Legal Services Society (LSS) If you are interested you can sign up at www.lss.bc.ca
Immigrant women’s website:Though based in Ontario the site www.nursing.utoronto.ca/immigrationguide is an attempt to tell it like it really is both to head off the shock that new arrivals experience and to help immigrants’ adjust to the realities of life here.
Available in nine languages from Hindi to Ukrainian it’s packed with cautions and practical information that government websites and other information sources often gloss over.
Judicial Review: A Lay Person’s Guide New to the Community Legal Assistance Society’s site a step-by-step guide to appealing a tribunals decision. www2.povnet.org/clas/publications
Supreme Court Self-Help Information Centre Online – www.supremecourtselfhelp.bc.ca
The following are available under the self-help materials
-Overview of the Supreme Court Civil Process
-Starting a Civil Proceeding in Supreme Court
-Defending a Civil Proceeding in Supreme Court
-Fast Track Litigation in Supreme Court-Rule 66
-Expedited Litigation in Supreme Court-Rule 68
-Summary Judgment and Summary Trials in Supreme Court
-Discovery Process
-Chambers Application
-Preparing for Trial and Trial in Supreme Court
-Alternatives to Trial
-Common Supreme Court Terms
Pro Bono Law-A Solution is Community Partnership, A Guide to Developing a Community-Based Pro Bono Program.
Great new step by step all inclusive guide including Performa developed for the MS Society’s program.
The booklet is available on the internet at www.probononet.bc.ca and at www.mssociety.ca/bc
Dealing with Name-Calling-A booklet produced and distributed by the Gay and Lesbian Educators of BC. Though geared to teachers could be used in other situations. Includes lesson plans to help deal with name-calling and homophobia. Copies can be downloaded from www.galebc.org or print copies at $5.00 per copy including postage from GALE BC, Box 93678, Nelson Park, P.O. Vancouver, BC, V6G 1N1
"A new publication Speak Up and Be Heard: Steps to Effective Advocacy, produced by the Child and Youth Officer for British Columbia. The direct link to the publication is http://www.gov.bc.ca/cyo/popt/javascript_version/a_quick_guide_to_advocacy.htm
ARTICLES/RESEARCH
National Justice Network Update has some interesting articles on Victim Impact Statements and Plea-bargaining in relation to the Todd Bertuzzi case. It is interesting in talking to women that they share many of the concerns of victim Steven Moore about these issues but never get heard or in the press
To read January’s newsletter, please click here - http://www.crcvc.ca/njn/january2005.pdf
WOMEN S SAFETY AWARDS 2004: A COMPENDIUM OF GOOD PRACTICES
This publication will act as a source of inspiration for all those concerned with women s safety. The compendium of good practices features the Canadian and International winners of the Women s Safety Awards 2004. It provides a detailed description of winning projects and an outline of all projects that were submitted for these Awards.
It is a resource that can be used by women s groups, youth groups, community-based organizations, municipalities and others working on community safety. By sharing good practices on women s safety, Women in Cities International aims to promote existing initiatives and to build the capacity of other groups to develop projects.
Download a copy website at www.femmesetvilles.org
The English and French version of this publication is also available in hard copy.
To order your copy:
by email to info@femmesetvilles.org [with subject ]
by mail:
Women in Cities International
465 St-Jean, suite 803
Montréal, Québec, H2Y 2R6
NEW REPORT ON EFFECT OF CUTBACKS ON WOMEN IN B.C.
"Losing ground: the effects of government cutbacks on women in British Columbia, 2001-2005," was published on March 8, 2005, to mark International Women's Day. The authors have done an excellent job documenting the many Liberal cutbacks and service withdrawals in a wide variety of areas including child care, health are, welfare, seniors' services, education, employment, justice, and advocacy; pointing out how these cuts have disproportionately affected women.
To download the report, go to http://www.bcfed.com/NR/rdonlyres/e447lfhfti4er5lm7kmoqu772bnqshhp4cgt6usofbppsad3dykgt2qi5oyxhq5ieltpooovt2w74xknv3xp6gezdmh/rep-iwd-reese-strong+boag-losing+ground+report.pdf
Though written in 1999 an interesting article The Seven P’s of Men’s Violence
http://www.michaelkaufman.com/articles/7ps.html
BC Report and Recommendations on Changing the Family Court System
A New Justice System for Families and Children, Report of the Family Justice Reform Working Group to the Justice Review Task Force Group.
The full report 113 pages can be found at http://www.bcjusticereview.org/working_groups/family_justice/final_05_05.pdf
In a nutshell, among other things, it is recommending the formation of Family Justice Information Hubs as the front door to the family justice system. They would offer extensive information, needs assessment services, and referrals to other services including lawyers. They also recommend that there be mandated attendance (minimum one even where a restraining order has been given) at a Consensual Dispute Resolution meeting. Increased court fees including Provincial Court fees would be used to discourage use of the Court System
Ontario’s Domestic Violence Death Review Committee Annual Report: 2004-64 pages
Ontario’s second Death Review Report states “An important concern to the DVDRC as a result of our review is the extent to which these homicides appear both predictable and preventable”
http://www.mpss.jus.gov.on.ca/english/home/pubs.html
Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile 2005
New report now available at www.statcan.ca Catalogue no. 85-224-XIE available for free.
Women and Poverty a new fact sheet from the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women. Though longer than one page a great concise overview of the issues available at
http://www.criaw-icref.ca/factSheets/Women%20&%20Poverty%202005.pdf
Locking Them up To Keep Them “Safe” Criminalized Girls in British Columbia
Though at first this does not appear to have anything to do with violence against women this superb report put out by Justice for Girls and available at www.justiceforgirls.org indicates a connection between violence against girls and their being locked up to keep them safe.
Submissions to the United Nations Human Rights Committee 2005 are accessible from the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action www.fafia-afai.org
Great Fact Sheets on Child Poverty in BC, 2005 Available at www.firstcallbc.org/2005FactSheet.pdf
Delivering Poverty Law Services: Lessons from BC and Abroad
Though not about women or violence most women fleeing from violence also have issues with poverty. This report from SPARC BC Aug. 30, 2004 can be downloaded from http://www.sparc.bc.ca/ and has some interesting information on service delivery that could be also applicable to Family Law delivery.
ALERTS
Bill C-2 Passed amendments to the Criminal Code. Though mainly dealing with child sexual assault this bill also affect victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
Key points are that:
Support Person-“Proposed section 486.1 (2) extends the courts’ authority even further, by allowing such an order (that a witness can be accompanied by a support person while testifying) for the benefit if a witness of any age in any proceeding, if the judge or justice “is of the opinion that the order is necessary to obtain a full and candid account from the witness of the acts complained of.” In making that determination, the court would be directed to take into account the age of the witness, the presence or absence of mental or physical disability, the nature of the offence, the nature of any relationship between the witness and the accused, and any other circumstances considered relevant”.
Remote or Screened Testimony-“New section 486.2(1) extends the courts’ authority to make such an order for the benefit of such witnesses during any proceedings and will require the court to make such an order, where requested, unless the judge or justice “is of he opinion that the order would interfere with the proper administration of justice.”….the judge or justice would make that determination having regard to the age of the witness, the presence or absence of mental or physical disability, the nature of the offence, the nature of any relationship between the witness and the accused, and any other circumstances considered relevant.
Cross-examination by Accused-New section 486.3 (2) allows the court to make such an order for the benefit of any age witness, in any proceeding, upon application, if the presiding judge or justice is of the opinion that in order to obtain a full and candid account from the witness, the accused should not personally conduct the cross-examination.”
BC Court is first in Canada to use spousal support guidelines for further info see www.domesticabusemuststop.org News.
As at Nov. 1, 2005, victims of crime in Canada will be able to apply for financial assistance to attend the National Parole Board hearings of the offender who harmed them. For more info please see www.domesticabusemuststop.org Hot Topics
In an 8-10 ruling the Supreme Court of Canada has rejected the notion that time is money when it comes to child support and custody. The Supreme Court has opted to ignore the 40%rule. The judges decided that it does not matter if the father provides extra support (both emotional and financial) Consideration should be given to the overall situation of shared custody and the costs related to the arrangement while paying close attention to needs, resources and situation of parents and any child “writes Justice Michel Bastarache. “ |
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