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.

Legal Aid

To find out if you qualify for free legal advice or representation, visit Legal Aid BC.

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. Visit Justices of the Peace (Provincial Court of B.C. for more information.

Youth Legal Resources

Visit the Youth Services for legal services and resources for youth.

Aboriginal Legal Resources

Visit Aboriginal Legal Resources for legal resources for Aboriginal people.

Click Law

Visit Clicklaw information about legal services and resources. Search Clicklaw’s HelpMap to find free and low-cost legal services in your community.