Inns of Court: Introduction to the New BC Commercial Liens Act – By Cynthia Callahan-Maureen, Directors of Pensions and Commercial with the Financial and Corporate Section Policy Branch of the BC Ministry of Finance

Date:  Wednesday, October 22, 2025 – 5:00pm to 7:30pm

Location:  Maple Room – Sticky Wicket Pub (food provided)

Topic: The Commercial Liens Act, S.B.C. 2022, c. 9 (CLA) (Bill 11 – 2022) implements a uniform act that gives a right to a lien to any service provider who repairs, stores or transports goods for payment. A lien is a right to keep another person’s property to secure payment of a debt.

This reform implements the Uniform Liens Act as recommended by the BC Law Institute, which was previously adopted in Saskatchewan. Lien holders will have the same familiar commercial options that have been available to secured lenders under personal property security legislation since the 1990s, including enforcement options that do not require court proceedings.

Before this reform, BC lien law was an inconsistent, outdated patchwork of laws creating different rules for different services. The CLA reduces risks and costs for service providers by replacing this patchwork with a modern and clear framework.

The CLA repeals the Repairers Lien Act, Warehouse Lien Act and Livestock Lien Act and existing liens under those Acts continue as commercial liens. Common law repairers’ and common carriers’ liens are abolished; existing liens continue as commercial liens if they meet the CLA’s requirements for a lien.

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Professional Development Credits: This course offers up to 2 hours of Professional Development Credits (See “How to get CPD Credit” below).

Cost: The cost of the event is $55.00 per person paid to the “Victoria Bar Association”, either by:

1. Pay online through the Inns of Court event page at www.Vicbar.ca (click link); or

1. Pay manually by sending a cheque payable to “Victoria Bar Association” at ATT: Darren Williams, 210-174 Wilson St, Victoria BC V9A 7N6

How to get PD Credit

To get the 2 PD Credits, this is the process after the event has completed:

1. Find Law Society “Member Services”
2. Select “Member Portal” and enter your information
3. ‘Login’
4. Under “Education” select “Continuing Professional Development (CPD)”
5. Type the group study name of “Inns of Court” into the “Course/Group Study” name box (leave dates out as this is set up with a date range)
6. In the Course/Group Study box type in ‘Inns of Court”
7. From the Drop down menu select “Inns of Court – Victoria Bar Association”
8. Select “Inns of Court Victoria Court (18 Credits) Jan.1 – December 31, 2025” or something similar as the name is undergoing a slight change.
9. DO NOT TYPE IN THE NAME OF THIS COURSE WHEN APPLYING FOR CREDITS. YOU WILL NOT FIND IT. YOU DO NOT NEED THE NAME IN ORDER TO CLAIM YOUR 2 HOURS OF CREDIT.
10. Under “Record your CPD hours” type ‘2’
11. Under “Completion Date” type in the date you took the course

Select the “Get Credit” Button