The British Columbia government has brought in justice reforms it says will help settle civil and family disputes more quickly and at less cost.
Attorney General Mike de Jong says when the changes are fully implemented next July it will be easier for people to use the courts.
Under the changes, the first three days of trial time will be free, with litigants required to pay court fees if trials run longer.
To encourage the use of mediation, court fees for filing or responding to a legal claim will be eliminated for those who try mediation before filing a civil action.
Other measures include new rules to reduce conflict during family court matters, simplifying procedures in civil cases where the amount in dispute is $100,000 or less, as well as new restrictions on questioning of parties and the amount of paperwork needed.
B.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Donald Brenner says the changes, which grew out of a reform effort begun in 2004, are a significant step forward in making the justice system more accessible and affordable.
But a government critic is taking a different view. The NDP says the justice reform announcement doesn't fix the problem of deep cuts to legal aid.
NDP attorney general critic Leonard Krog says the real problem is a lack of access to the courts by lower income people after the Liberals slashed legal aid funding by 40 per cent.
However, The Law Society of British Columbia welcomed the rule changes, adding it will take time to assess the impact that they will have.
"These reforms of civil procedure, although not radical, ought to promote more efficiency in the administration of justice, which is clearly in the public interest," said Law Society President Gordon Turriff, QC.
"The new rules reflect an effort to find a balance on questions about which people could reasonably disagree,'' he said.
