Harvard Law School: BC needs mining law reform

BLOG POST posted on October 23, 2010 by dawn

→Original Peoples

Received this in my inbox today from an ally who used to work with the Takla First Nation.

[At this link] is an important news item related to Takla's recent work done with Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic. It is follow-up to a report that says legal reform in B.C. is needed to ensure that mining companies and the government respect First Nations' human rights.

The key quote here, from Professor and lawyer Bonnie Dochierty, is:

"British Columbia's mining laws both on their face and in their implementation, however, fail to meet these constitutional aboriginal rights standards. In addition, the standards lack clarity about what consultation and accommodation specifically mean in the mining context. Statutory or regulatory reform could address these shortcomings and provide consistency in the mining context that ensures heightened protections for all First Nations."

Click here to download a copy of "Bearing the Burden: The Effects of Mining on First Nations in British Columbia," which is the original Harvard report.