Justice project
The justice project has created new opportunities for B.C. lawyers to access sensitive court documents online. It demonstrated how digital credentials can provide extra security and convenience in people’s work lives and how service delivery can be improved and streamlined.
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Background
In the past, B.C.’s 14,000 lawyers had limited access to court materials online. To obtain a criminal recording, Order or other documents, they often had to travel to the courthouse and make the request in person which increased lawyer time and costs. It also added complexity to attending virtual proceedings when attendance was also often needed in person to acquire physical documents.
The barrier to providing online access was trust. Court materials are often highly sensitive. Everyone needed to be confident that only the right people could access them online. This meant that traditional ways of logging in, like a username and password, were insufficient. A better type of online identity was needed.
Solution
The Law Society of British Columbia collaborated with the B.C. Government’s Digital Trust and Identity Program on a project that established 3 new pillars of digital trust.
- The Law Society of BC issued a Member Card digital credential to a lawyer, proving they’re a lawyer in good standing
- A Person credential, an online identity based on information from their BC Services Card, was also issued to the lawyers
- Both digital credentials were integrated into the BC Wallet, a user-friendly and secure digital wallet smartphone app
Lawyers then used their digital credentials and BC Wallet for swift and secure access to court services.
Outcomes
Lawyers can now have more effective interviews with clients before going to court, thanks to their ability to access documents whenever they need them. This is especially beneficial for vulnerable citizens who rely on Duty Counsel. Effective interviews minimize a person’s stress and anxiety about attending sensitive and emotional family or child protection proceedings.
The new service allowed lawyers to access court materials online, without needing to go to the courthouse. It’s called Access to Court Materials (ACM), and it’s available all day, every day. Thousands of requests from lawyers are made through this service every month.
Recent research also revealed that most lawyers had a good or very good experience with the pilot. As an example, one lawyer praised the impact of the service, saying “there are so many paperwork bottlenecks and this should give notice that [new] things are on the way.”
Future plans
Participating lawyers can now prove their identity and that they’re Law Society members in good standing to anyone with the BC Wallet. This opens the door for anyone to accept lawyer credentials for any range of services and situations.
Future plans include expanding lawyers’ access to Courthouse Law Libraries online material. The project continues to increase security and convenience for lawyers and B.C. residents while also increasing access to justice.