B.C. Limitation Act Update

B.C. Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond has announced that the Limitation Act, a new piece of provincial legislation that sets the amount of time people have to file civil lawsuits, will come into effect on June 1, 2013. This act will set out new limitation periods, including a single, two-year limitation period for most civil claims, such as those that involve personal injury. In addition, there will be an ultimate limitation period for legal matters that may not be discovered right away, in which case people will have up to 15 years to file most civil lawsuits. Note: limitation periods impact things such as record-keeping practices, professional training requirements, and the cost and availability of insurance. These reforms, which have been welcomed by many professionals whose work is often exposed to long-term liability risk, are consistent with reforms taking place throughout Canada, better aligning B.C.’s law with other provinces. For more information, visit http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/legislation/limitation-act/2012.htm.