Access, Safety, and Regional Context: A Comprehensive Assessment of BC Court Locations
Author: Samantha Davis & Stephanie Melnyk
“[The court location] was overall uncomfortable and I would be terrified to have to appear here [facing] an abuser.”
— Court support worker in a northern community, p. 21
This research project, conducted in 2024 and 2025, is a comprehensive assessment of 73 out of the 84 active court locations in BC (87%). We found that courts are often unsafe or inaccessible for survivors of gender-based violence, even though they are expected to be places of justice and safety. This is the first comprehensive assessment conducted at court locations in BC, and Rise is raising awareness about disparities across the province.
Our key findings are:
It is difficult to avoid an abusive former partner in most court locations
Court locations can be confusing and unsafe to navigate alone
Many locations lack appropriate waiting areas and amenities
Physical accessibility is not being met in many court locations
Court spaces can be intimidating and unwelcoming
This research report builds on Rise’s 2022 report, Creating Safety in BC Courthouses. Dr. Kim Stanton’s 2025 report on the experiences of survivors in the BC legal system endorsed the 2022 report, with recommendation 20A specifically calling for Rise’s recommendations “with regard to physical infrastructure improvements at BC courthouses be implemented without delay.”
Many of the concerns we highlighted are not new issues, and many people within the provincial government told us they are aware of the challenges in court locations across the province and want to work collaboratively to improve locations. The report hopes to move beyond challenges to focus on building solutions, emphasizing the experience of survivors of violence.
For the second phase of this project, Rise will be implementing some of our recommendations to improve safety and accessibility in a select group of courthouses.
“We hear time and time again how scared our clients are to attend court. Imagine showing up to court, afraid you will have to sit next to your abuser, run into them on the way to the washroom, or in the parking lot when you leave. Imagine you are also in a winter coat because there is no heat in the building, and you are thirsty because you have no access to drinking water. That is the reality for some court users in BC.”
— Samantha Davis, report co-author and Supervisor of Rise’s Student Advocacy Clinic