Fruitvale joins bylaw adjudication system
By Contributor
The Village of Fruitvale is joining B.C.’s bylaw adjudication program, allowing its residents who are involved in minor bylaw infractions to take their disputes to an independent adjudicator instead of dealing with them in a traditional courtroom.
The adjudication system allows for more efficient use of court resources by eliminating the roles of court and court registries in the administration and hearing of these disputes, saving local governments time and money.
Each jurisdiction determines which bylaws it would like included in the process. The Village of Fruitvale plans to use the system to enforce minor zoning, property maintenance, animal control, traffic, business license and anti-noise bylaws.
As part of an ongoing reform of the justice system, the B.C. government is increasing the number of alternative ways to resolve disputes, when appropriate, without requiring individuals to use the courts. Court alternatives help to reduce stress, shorten the time required to resolve disputes and ultimately cut costs for both the individual and taxpayer.
With the addition of the Village of Fruitvale, there are now 65 local governments using or developing the bylaw adjudication system.
