Harm Reduction Legal Advocacy Panel

Event Description

Law Students for Decriminalization & Harm Reduction is pleased to host a harm reduction legal advocacy panel on February 27, 2025, from 12:30 PM to 1:45 PM. The event will be held in Room 106 at Allard Hall. The speakers for this panel are three key advocates in the harm reduction space:

Lisa Lapointe served as BC's Chief Coroner from 2011 to 2024. A graduate of the Peter A. Allard School of Law, Lisa oversaw the independent investigation of deaths reported to the BC Coroners Service, including preventable deaths caused by drug toxicity. Advocating for sensible, evidence-driven public health policy, Lisa has been at the forefront of the province's battle against toxic drug overdoses for years.

Stephanie Dickson is a Principal at Pender Litigation, and serves as co-counsel for the Drug User Liberation Front, who were arrested by Vancouver police in October 2023 for testing and distributing unadulterated cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine to members of their compassion club. Also a graduate of the Peter A. Allard School of Law, Stephanie brings her litigation expertise, particularly in the criminal law context, to bear in the ongoing Drug User Liberation Front case.

Tim Dickson is a partner at JFK Law LLP, and serves as co-counsel for the Drug User Liberation Front. Tim is an experienced civil litigator, with a particular focus on Aboriginal, constitutional, administrative, and commercial law. In March 2023, Tim and Stephanie argued a judicial review before the Federal Court on behalf of the Drug User Liberation Front. The criminal trial is scheduled for October 2025.

Panel topics will include:

Progression of decriminalization in BC
Expansion of involuntary detention and treatment
Non-medical models of safer supply
How the Charter might be used to prevent overdose deaths
Understanding the overdose crisis through an intersectional lens
Advice to law students on advocating for harm reduction
Where do we go from here? Suggestions for, and barriers to, policy and legal reform

Contact decrim.ubc@gmail.com for Zoom link.

  • Student Organization
  • General Public
  • All Students
  • Alumni
  • Faculty
  • Graduate Students
  • JD
  • Staff
  • Student Events
Info for:
Peter A. Allard School of Law UBC Crest The official logo of the University of British Columbia. Urgent Message An exclamation mark in a speech bubble. Arrow An arrow indicating direction. Caret A month-view page from a calendar. Caret An arrowhead indicating direction. Contact A page from a rolodex. Facebook The logo for the Facebook social media service. Information The letter 'i' in a circle. Instagram The logo for the Instagram social media service. Instagram An arrow exiting a rectangle. Linkedin The logo for the LinkedIn social media service. Mail An envelope. Minus A minus sign. Telephone An antique telephone. Play A media play button. Plus A plus symbol indicating more or the ability to add. Rss The logo for the Reddit social media service. Rss A symbol with radiating bars indicating an RSS feed. Search A magnifying glass. Twitter The logo for the Twitter social media service. Youtube The logo for the YouTube video sharing service.