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Your B.C. Government

Courts and Victim Services

Your B.C. Government is providing new legal tools, services and supports to help address crime, tackle the root causes, and provide assistance to victims.

What your B.C. Government is doing for Courts and Victim Services:

  • Between September 2008 and April 2009, Vancouver's Downtown Community Court concluded 1,664 court cases involving 919 accused.
  • The community court is one of several justice reform pilots aimed at improving the justice system through integration, problem solving, timely resolutions and prevention.
  • Your B.C. government invested $5 million to open the Vancouver Downtown Community Court. This is Canada's first community court and brings together justice, health and social services under one roof to address the root causes of crime.
  • B.C. is one of four provinces with active civil forfeiture programs. Over the past three years, the Province's actions have seen $7.5 million in cash and property forfeited, with proceeds going to support victims and crime prevention and remediation.
  • The Province funds over 160 victim service programs to provide information, referrals, emotional support and practical assistance to victims of crime.
  • The Province invested $51.5 million in victim services in 2007/08 – an increase of 34 per cent over 2001.
  • In 2008 alone, your B.C. Government has increased funding to front-line services to crime victims by $2.7 million, an average funding increase of 22 per cent for each individual program.
  • The Province introduced the Crime Victim Assistance Program, providing centralized assistance to victims and focusing on ensuring faster access to improved support services such as funeral expenses, bereavement leave, income support and counselling.
  • B.C. is the only province to broaden income support benefits to include family members who were financially dependent on a victim.
  • Created VictimLINK, a free, multilingual crisis line for victims of family and/or sexual violence and other crimes, giving victims access to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 1 800 563-0808. Nearly 10,000 people accessed VictimLINK in 2007.

For More Information:
Downtown Community Court
Victims Services
Crime Victim Assistance Program