The British Columbia Court of Appeal issued its 2012 Annual Report on March 27, 2013.

The 2012 issue is the last Annual Report under Chief Justice Lance Finch's leadership, as he approaches his mandatory retirement date in June 2013.

On page 34 of the Annual Report, the Court's Pro Bono Committee, led by Justice Ian Donald, thanks Access Pro Bono for its work in facilitating free legal assistance and representation for otherwise self-represented Court of Appeal litigants. The Committee also lists APB's many volunteer lawyers who appeared before the Court in 2012.

The Court notes at page 13 that the number of civil filings for self-represented litigants increased 2% over 2011, while the number of civil hearings involving self-represented litigants remained the same. Meanwhile, the number of criminal appeals filed where one party was self-represented slightly increased over 2011, and yet there was a significant reduction in the number of self-represented litigants in appeals heard.

The entire 2012 Annual Report can be read here.