Introduction to Dial-A-Law

In 1983, the Canadian Bar Association British Columbia Branch (CBABC) initiated Dial-A-Law, an innovative service using pre-recorded audio scripts and a telephone call-in system to dispense public legal information anonymously. It has been supported by the Law Foundation of BC since its inception, but ultimately owes its success to the volunteer assistance and dedication of hundreds of BC lawyers who helped write and maintain the scripts for legal accuracy over the years. It is to this service-minded group of professionals that we owe the greatest thanks, and for whom this print edition is dedicated.

Dial-A-Law has expanded to cover more than 130 legal topics over the years. There are scripts in Chinese and Punjabi, plus printed copies of the collection in binders at public libraries across the province. In 2005 we turned the scripts into content on www.dialalaw.org, and a few years later the Dial-A-Law scripts became linked to the broader collection of legal information available through www.clicklaw.bc.ca, a public legal information portal.

This year Dial-A-Law turns 32 years old, and we are excited to see it evolve into the resource you have before you. Legal information will always be in a state of change, but our partnership with Courthouse Libraries BC, LawMatters and the Clicklaw Wikibooks platform will help ensure Dial-A-Law stays updated and widely accessible—including as a printed book in your public library. We now offer more ways than ever to access Dial-A-Law, by phone (1.800.565.5297), online (www.dialalaw.org), and through Clicklaw Wikibooks (http://wiki.clicklaw.bc.ca) where you can choose to read online, download in a range of formats (including PDF and EPUB), and even order this book printed and mailed to you on-demand. Feel free to consult http://wiki.clicklaw.bc.ca for updated versions of the Dial-A-Law scripts. Thank you to all who have worked on the Dial-A-Law scripts over the last 32 years.

Caroline Nevin, MBA CAE