New legislation makes online versions of B.C. laws official

VICTORIA - As part of ongoing work to improve and modernize access to justice, the Province has introduced new legislation to make online versions of B.C. laws official.

If passed, the new statutes act and the updated Regulations Act will let people use B.C.'s acts and regulations accessed through a government website as official versions for evidentiary purposes in court and elsewhere.

Previously, only printed copies of acts and regulations published by the King's Printer could be considered official under the Evidence Act and presented as evidence of the existence or contents of that law. Under the new legislation, online versions of acts and regulations published by the King's Printer will also be official for evidence purposes and will be publicly accessible on an official website. For example, people will be able to present official copies of acts on an electronic device or official copies of acts printed from a home printer as sufficient evidence that the act and the laws within it exist.

Printed copies of acts and regulations will still be available from the King's Printer.

Additionally, the new acts:

• set out the legislative publishing process, including roles of the Office of the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Office of Legislative Counsel and King's Printer;
• provide for accessibility features (hypertext links, alternative text) and information features (not-in-force notations, historical references) in official versions of legislation, improving user experience without legal impact; and
• update information and language for clarity and readability.

The updated Regulations Act will also provide for a website to store and maintain maps, images, forms, records and other materials that are referenced in regulations, orders in council and letters patent. This will make sure these materials are kept in one place and easy to access.

The updates make it easier for people to use official versions of B.C. acts and regulations.

Learn More:

To learn more about B.C. legislation, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/legislation/