About BCFNJC’s Gladue Report ordering process

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Hi Everyone,

As indicated in the email I sent last week, the information I am providing today represents an overview of the process for requesting Gladue Reports, effective April 1, 2021.

For reference, I’ve previously sent two emails, the first one included general information about the transition of Gladue Services to the BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC), and the second email included specific information about our Gladue Information Management System (GIMS).

Through the development of the BCFNJC Gladue Report program, the Gladue Services Department (GSD) prioritized maintaining consistency with the existing service model to ensure service disruptions are minimized, while also seeking to implement administrative changes to ensure the process is easy for all actors involved.

While the report ordering process will be similar to the existing process, several enhancements have been made to centralize and secure client information. Through GIMS, GSD staff will manage the signing of consent forms and the submission of disclosure, along with the processing of payments, transferring the responsibility of paying Gladue Report writers from lawyers to the BCFNJC.

The transition of Gladue Services to the BCFNJC also allows us to remove barriers related to requesting a Gladue report. For example, after April 1, any First Nations, Métis, or Inuit person can request a Gladue report, whether they have retained a private lawyer or are a client of Legal Aid BC.

BCFNJC’s Gladue Report program reflects a significant reduction in the administrative burden on counsel and Gladue writers with the existing process. Effective April 1, the process for requesting a Gladue Report will be as follows:

Gladue Report requests will be received on the BCFNJC website at www.bcfnjc.com/gladue-reports/.
Once on that landing page, the user will be prompted to log into GIMS.
The user will then need to create an account or log in to their existing account. Requests to create a GIMS account will be reviewed by GSD staff for authentication prior to a user having the ability to request a report.
Once a user’s account has been approved and they are logged into GIMS, the user will complete an intake form and submit disclosure via GIMS using a secure file transfer system. During this first phase of implementation, as with the existing process, user accounts will be approved for Defense Counsel only.
GSD staff will identify a writer from the BCFNJC Gladue Report roster and check for conflicts of interest, then the Gladue writer will prepare the report and file it on GIMS. Once the report is filed on GIMS, the GSD will process the writer’s payment.

The user who requested the Gladue Report will receive email notifications to confirm the Report request was filed; when a Gladue Report writer has been assigned; and when the report is completed and available on GIMS, at which time they can then log into GIMS to access it for use in court.

GSD staff are currently working on tutorial videos and supplemental policies, which I will share in another email near the end of March. Further, we will also be scheduling virtual training dates during the month of April, please watch for more information as those dates are booked.

Should you have any questions or require more information, please do not hesitate to connect with me.

Cheers,

Mitchell Walker
Director of Gladue Services