B.C. Lawyers from the Philippines meet the Attorney General

Vancouver, BC – Lawyers born in the Philippines licensed to practice in British Columbia attended a reception to meet, greet and speak with the Honourable David Eby, the Attorney General of British Columbia held at the University Women Club’s Hycroft Manor on January 25.

Attending the event with the AG were Ms. Margaret Mereigh, President of the Canadian Bar Association of British Columbia (CBABC) and Mr. Derrick Harder, the AG’s Senior Ministerial Aide.

“Minister Eby found out that there are presently no Filipino judges in any court in British Columbia. Being the head of the legal profession in BC, Minister Eby came to discuss how to improve representation of Filipino Lawyers in judicial and justice system-related appointments,” said Ms. Jeanette M. Oostlander, the first Philippine born woman lawyer in BC.

The evening started with the AG meeting each of the 20 lawyers in attendance.

Everyone later gathered at a roundtable where the AG reiterated the BC government’s commitment to ensure a diverse judiciary that is reflective of the society.

 He articulated that a justice system is only able to garner confidence if the bench is representative of the public, adding that Filipinos have important values and perspectives to bring to the table.

Ms. Mereigh and Mr. Harder likewise offered their assistance to help these Philippine-born lawyers raise their profile in the legal community.

The reception was the brainchild of the planning committee composed of senior lawyers Jeanette M. Oostlander, Mylene de Guzman and Claudia Poon. The lawyers, many of whom were meeting each other for the first time, were very enthusiastic about plans to hold other events in the months to come, including workshops and meetings with Senior Members of the Legal Profession with the goal of developing B.C. Judges who immigrated to Canada from the Philippines.