The 2024 Criminal Law Bootcamp took place May 9-10 in downtown Vancouver following a five-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference was jointly organized by LABC, the Criminal Defence Advocacy Society, the Association of Legal Aid Lawyers, the BC First Nations Justice Council, and the University of British Columbia’s Innocence Project at the Allard School of Law.
The event, which had 130 lawyers registered, included a combination of plenary and small-group breakout sessions led by more than 25 experienced criminal defence counsel. The bootcamp’s aim was to provide a practical guide to criminal law practice for lawyers with five or fewer years’ experience in criminal defence work. Topics included mental health issues (for clients and lawyers), navigating legal aid, pre-trial matters, sexual offences, and sentencing. Featured speakers included Chief Justice Leonard Marchand of the BC and Yukon Courts of Appeal, Justice Janet Winteringham of the BC Court of Appeal, and Richard Peck K.C. Conference video recordings and materials will be made available online at a later date.
We hope to make the Criminal Law Bootcamp an annual event coinciding with the spring judge’s conference. Thank you to all organizers, speakers, and participants for making this a successful event.
