The Benchers established the Mental Health Task Force in 2018 with a mandate to:
- identify ways to reduce the stigma of mental health issues; and
- develop an integrated mental health review concerning regulatory approaches to discipline and admissions.
Read the task force's terms of reference.
Mental Health Forum: February 6, 2024
Improving mental health for legal professionals in BC is a key priority for the Law Society. In partnership with the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC, the Law Society hosted a two-part Mental Health Forum on June 23 and February 6, 2024 (postponed from October 3, 2023). The virtual events featured impactful speakers, practical strategies and advice for advancing mental health within the legal profession. Watch the events on demand here.
National survey on health and well-being of legal professionals
In late 2022, the Université de Sherbrooke, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and the Canadian Bar Association released a report on the psychological health determinants of legal professionals in Canada. The report highlights the prevalence of mental health concerns and substance use issues among the legal profession, and showcases the need for more support and resources for those facing these challenges.
A list of recommendations released in December 2022 highlights 10 key areas of focus, including increasing education, resources, diversity, and work-life balance.
The report can be read here and the recommendations can be found here.
The findings of the report are serious and reinforce the importance of the Law Society’s commitment to improve education and support a culture shift in how the profession approaches mental health and substance use issues.
As a regulator, the Law Society has vowed to identify ways to reduce stigma, and to review its discipline and admissions processes to consider how best to deal with mental health and substance use issues. Our Mental Health Task Force has been working to identify ways to reduce the stigma of mental health issues and create an Alternative Discipline Plan for those lawyers it would help. The task force will be considering the recommendations from the report and providing recommendations to the Benchers in 2023.
Mental Health Task Force
Task force reports
2023
Final Report of the Mental Health Task Force
Fourth Recommendation Report of the Mental Health Task Force
2022
Implementation of the Mental Health Task Force recommendations
2021
Recommendation on the Development of an Alternative Discipline Process
2020
2019
2019 Year End Report
2019 Mid-Year Report
2018
2018 Mid-Year Report
First Interim Report
2018 Year-End Report
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