Overview
- A 2–1 B.C. Court of Appeal decision said provincial laws must be interpreted to incorporate UNDRIP immediately and found parts of the mineral tenure regime incompatible.
- The court ruled the automated online system allowing 'free miners' to stake claims before consulting affected First Nations violates the Crown’s duty to consult.
- Interim Conservative leader Trevor Halford called for repealing DRIPA and asked that the legislature be recalled, saying his party will work co‑operatively to do so.
- Halford said letters were sent to MLAs, argued judges should not decide consistency with UNDRIP, and noted the House could reconvene using remote access.
- First Nations leadership and the BC Civil Liberties Association welcomed the ruling as reinforcing DRIPA, as the province also manages separate Indigenous-rights litigation including the Cowichan title appeal.