The new president of the Canadian Bar Association BC Branch (CBABC) says he will be focusing his advocacy efforts on improving access to the justice system, defending an independent bar in the province and hitting back at what he describes as undue criticism of judges that has increasingly crept into the public and political sphere.

“One trend that causes me concern is the increased attack on judges, particularly among elected representatives. Attacks on individual members can undermine the justice system … it can cause confusion about the institutional roles each institution plays,” said Connor Bildfell in an interview with Business in Vancouver ahead of the association’s official announcement Tuesday that he is the new president for the 2026-27 term.

“The role of the courts is simply to decide the cases brought to them based on the facts presented in the law,” said Bildfell, noting it is a politician’s job to draft the laws.

“It’s important not to confuse those roles,” said Bildfell, a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP in Vancouver, practicing in commercial litigation, class actions, privacy disputes and public law.

Bildfell said courts are understaffed and need more judges. The most recent case in point, he said, is Federal Court Chief Justice Alan S. Diner telling The Canadian Press this week about unmanageable workloads for judges and court staff because of rising immigration cases.

Bildfell said there should be no excuse for not being able to access any court in a timely manner.

“One of the key drivers of costs is being able to get a case through the court system. Properly resourcing the system is an absolutely essential condition to getting people access to justice,” Bildfell said.

The costs associated with hiring a lawyer is also an issue.

Bildfell said lawyers are “doing [their] best they can to help. … But it’s a systemic issue and systemic issues require complex solutions.”

Meanwhile, the association through its parent, the Canadian Bar Association, continues to oppose the B.C. government’s new Legal Professions Act.

A constitutional challenge from the Law Society of B.C. was struck down and is now being appealed at the B.C. Court of Appeal with a hearing set in November.

Bildfell said the association has sought leave to intervene in the case.

The province maintains the new regulatory regime aims to improve access to justice by reducing legal costs, namely through allowing paralegals and notaries to conduct basic legal work.

The counterargument has been that the new act strips lawyers of the power to regulate themselves and lends itself more to government-imposed conditions, such as more board appointments and mandatory Indigenous representation.

“Everybody, no matter their circumstances, deserves to have an independent lawyer who they can access and who they can advise on their rights and responsibilities. That is so important to the functioning of our society,” Bildfell said.

The association represents 8,000 member lawyers in B.C. and also has an ongoing “reconciliation action plan” developed “to support cultural and structural changes in workplaces, institutions and systems.”

Other recent association advocacy efforts include an independent and accessible judicial system for ICBC claims to better compensate injured people.

The association is also calling for higher wages for judges and courtroom staff.

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