Cases and submissions

Cases and submissions

At West Coast LEAF, we promote gender equality by changing systems, institutions, laws, policies, and public attitudes.

We strive to bring about social change through litigation and law and policy reform strategies to create a more equitable, accessible, and just world for all. 

People hold signs saying "time for change" and "silence is violence" while walking in a peaceful protest.
unsplash / Duncan Shaffer

Litigation

We get involved in cases that we expect will have a broad impact on human rights and gender equality. The cases we take on deal with many issues impacting the equality of women and people who experience gender-based discrimination. We strive to ground our litigation work in a community-engaged legal practice that centers the experiences of those most impacted by overlapping systems of oppression. 

With very few exceptions we do not offer direct legal services or advocacy to individuals. To learn more about how we choose which cases to be involved in, read about our case selection process.

Law and policy reform

Every day, our lives are shaped by laws, policies, and state actions. Nearly every aspect of how we engage with society is governed by law. Our law reform work centres those most marginalized by systems of oppression and bridges people to the law.

We monitor how legislation and policy affect the rights and well-being of women and people who experience gender-based discrimination. In doing so, we engage with decision-makers to push for greater equality, monitor legislation, and make submissions to government bodies to change historic patterns of systemic discrimination. Our law reform work is dependent on coalition-building and partnerships that enable us to listen deeply and stand in solidarity with human rights campaigns organized by other groups.

Explore our work

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Single Mothers’ Alliance v BC: Taking the fight for family law legal aid to court [2017]

In BC, most applications for family law legal aid are denied outright or the legal support…

Five lawyers from West Coast LEAF and the Centre for Family Equity stand in front of the BC Law Courts.

Challenging the Ministry of Children and Family Development’s culture of risk and surveillance

We are calling on the BC government and MCFD to dismantle the framework for policing families…

Open letter: Coalition calls on BC government for pay equity legislation

West Coast LEAF has joined a coalition of more than 125 leading BC organizations, academics, and advocates…

R.R. v Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society [2020]

This is a complaint before the BC Human Rights Tribunal about discrimination in the child protection system…