There
were, and still are, external challenges to successfully adopting of plain
language principles and practices at the commission.
- The Commission
does not exist in a vacuum. We must work with other BC government agencies,
including many who have not adopted plain language principles. Dealing with
them requires us to be patient and understanding, without relinquishing our
plain language goal.
- We must also
work within a legal system, a system where as you know traditions die hard. By
way of example, one of our senior legal staff filed an document with the BC
Court of Appeal, with the “where-ases” and other legal jargon
removed. The court returned the document with instructions to resubmit it in
“proper form”, with the where-as restored.
- Another
challenge is that we must work on committees with other securities regulators
across Canada, in jointly drafting and adopting new national instruments.
Needless to say, not all share our passion for plain language. Then there is
the political reality that committee members ultimately were answerable to
their own commissions, not to their committee colleagues and have to govern
themselves accordingly. This challenge is a continuing one, although we had
been heartened by the response from colleagues who share our views on the value
of plain language.
Interestingly, some of our legal staff were doubtful that we could succeed if
BCSC staff were trained in plain language and committee members from other
jurisdictions were not. What in fact has happened is that . . .
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