Anyone can request access to information held by Legal Aid BC. We’ll provide you with any information you are entitled to have — you don’t have to indicate why you want the information.
You can access some information simply by asking for it at your local legal aid location — for example, reports and policies, or a document from your own active file.
Access to other information requires a formal Freedom of Information request. Information that requires a formal request includes, for example:
- records that may contain the personal information of someone other than you, or
- your own records if they span several years and involve more than one of our offices.
To submit a formal request, write us a letter or complete the Request for Access to Records form and send it to the General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at:
General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Legal Aid BC
400 – 510 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 3A8
Legal Aid BC is committed to protecting and respecting the personal information entrusted to us by our clients and applicants, and to providing applicants, clients, and the general public access to information in accordance with statutory requirements.
The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and disclose personal information, and explains the process for accessing information from LABC.
Fees
We’ve adopted the fee schedule contained in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA). People who have received legal representation through Legal Aid BC in the past 12 months are exempted from the first $50 of the fee.
Fees can’t be charged for:
- providing you with your own personal information,
- the time we spend removing information from records, or
- for the first three hours of time we spend processing requests for general information.