Clicklaw is an online library of curated public legal information, created for British Columbians to help them research their legal issues and take steps toward resolving them. It’s operated by Courthouse Libraries BC (CLBC).
The Clicklaw service supports the CLBC’s mission to “Ensure British Columbians have access to legal information and resources that help them navigate the legal system and take the next step in their legal journey.”
Clicklaw’s content is organized by CLBC’s information services team to provide:
- a clear topic structure to guide research into commonly experienced legal issues,
- the legal system context,
- services to help resolve legal issues, and
- legal information resources, including CLBC.
What’s included on Clicklaw?
Our librarians select a range of information resources and tools designed and written for most people to understand and use. These resources are published by trusted non-profit and governmental organizations.
We select resources that help people:
- understand the scope of their legal issue and options to move forward,
- gather information about their rights or available benefits,
- find free or low-cost legal services (i.e., advocates, non-profit organizations, pro-bono (free) legal clinics, and unbundled legal services), and
- increase their knowledge and understanding of laws and the legal system.
Our criteria for inclusion of a resource are based on the following features:
- Content that is relevant to British Columbia and its legal system. We only include information produced by organizations in other provinces if it is about federal laws.
- Content that is accessible to the public online, which is concise, complete, and presented in clear language.
- Content produced by reliable organizations, such as non-profits, public legal information providers, governments, and other official groups.
- Content that adheres to legal information best practices as outlined by the Better Legal Information website.
- Content that is free or at a low/nominal cost. We give priority to resources and services that are free.
- Services that provide law-related assistance, information, education, and/or representation to British Columbians who have a legal issue or need to resolve a legal problem. We give priority to services provided through a recognized non-profit organization or government agency.
Excluded content
We don’t include content if it:
- is primarily intended for the legal profession,
- is primarily intended to advance the agenda of a political party,
- is defamatory or discriminatory, or promoting illegal activities,
- is intended to solicit business for a commercial law firm or legal service, or
- doesn’t have legal content (e.g., annual reports, marketing materials, order forms, and general newsletters about an organization’s activities).