The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia) Society is thrilled to have been invited to collaborate with CBABC and SABA BC on this initiative. Having procedures that promote the correct pronunciation of names can play a significant role in ensuring that individuals are treated with respect and dignity in court and before tribunals, regardless of their race, culture or ethnicity. From the CBABC website:

On February 2, CBABC, the South Asian Bar Association of BC and the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (BC) Society delivered a letter to the Chief Justice of BC, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of BC, Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of BC, and the Chair of Circle of Chairs of BC Administrative Tribunals.

The letter offers best practices to ensure that all people appearing before courts and tribunals throughout BC have their names pronounced correctly, increasing inclusion for lawyers and participants across the province.

The suggestions include:

• Amended practice directions to outline how participants can advise the court/tribunal of the pronunciation of their names.
• Updated standard practices to request pronunciation of all names upon introduction.
• Encouragement to request confirmation of pronunciation.
• Verification of the correct pronunciation of all participants prior to the hearing.

Implementation of these practices will improve the experience of Indigenous and racialized people who appear before our courts and tribunals. It also sends the message that everyone, regardless of race, culture and ethnicity, should be treated with equal respect and dignity.

Read the full PDF here.