Sara-Marie Scott
Lawyer
Available in: English Français
Sara practises general civil litigation at all levels of court with particular interest in appellate advocacy and Constitutional and Education Law.
smscott@powerlaw.ca
604-260-4462
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Sara has rapidly gained considerable litigation experience. Notably, in navigating the procedural rules and evidentiary requirements of the Supreme and Appeal Courts in British Columbia, the Federal Courts and the Supreme Court of Canada.

Sara was hired as a lawyer after completing her articles with the firm’s Vancouver office. As an articling student at Power Law, Sara began her legal career working on the largest and most complex education rights trial since the adoption of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Sara has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada, the British Columbia Court of Appeal and the British Columbia Supreme Court.

Sara grew up in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and now lives in Vancouver.

Sara practices in both English and French.

Law Societies

  • British Columbia

Education

  • J.D. (University of Ottawa, Common Law (French) – 2014)
  • B.A. Social Sciences, major in Psychology (University of Victoria – 2011)
  • “Étude sur les obstacles à l’utilisation de l’article 530 du Code criminel en Colombie-Britannique”, AJEFCB (January 2019) (with J. Klinck, G. Decat-Beltrami, M. Power, A. Mayrand, C. Faucher and R. Léger)

  • Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique, et al. v Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of British Columbia, et al. SCC 38332 (Charter right to official language education – existence, nature and quality of schools across the province, scope of permissible s. 1 justifications, Charter damages)

  • Bessette v British Columbia (Attorney General) 2019 SCC 31 (language of trial, judicial review in criminal matters, statutory interpretation)

  • Mazraani v Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc., 2018 SCC 50 (constitutional law, use of official languages in federal court, remedy for language rights violations)

  • Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique et al v. British Columbia(Education), 2018 BCCA 305 (equivalency challenge to ministerial decisions as they relate to school funding)

  • Bessette v. British Columbia (Attorney General), 2018 BCCA 59 (application for stay of proceedings)

  • Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique et al v. British Columbia (Education), 2018 BCCA 42 (costs of proceedings)

  • Bessette v British Columbia (Attorney General), 2017 BCCA 264 (Judicial review in criminal matters, statutory interpretation, language of trial)

  • Gitanyow First Nations v. British Columbia (Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations)

  • Sliwinski v Sliwinski, 2017 BCCA 146 (Appeal from an order dismissing the action on a determination that the Notice of Civil Claim was without merit, frivolous, vexatious, and an abuse of process)

  • Garcia v Tahoe Resources Inc., 2017 BCCA 39 (private international law, international human rights law)

     

  • Reference re the Final Report of the Electoral Boundaries Commission, 2017 NSCA 10 (protected electoral constituencies for minorities)

     

  • Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique et al v British Columbia (Education), 2016 BCSC 1764 (equivalency challenge to ministerial  decisions as they relate to school funding) 

     

  • Garcia v Tahoe Resources Inc., 2016 BCCA 320 (private international law, international human rights law)

     

  • Morin v Allison, 2016 BCSC (Vancouver Registry Docket: S165484) (statutory interpretation, by-elections)

     

  • Sliwinski v Sliwinski, 2016 BCCA (Vancouver Registry, File No CA43769) (procedure)

  • Estate of Janet Wisser v Jadwiga Makarewicz coba JM Import Company et al, 2016 BCPC (Vancouver Registry, File No 14-48236) (estate litigation, constructive trusts, contracts)

  • During Law school, Sara completed two internships: one with EcoJustice Canada, and another with a law firm in Victoria specialising in Aboriginal and international law. During the latter, she helped to prepare materials for a course on Canadian evidence law, to be taught at The Hague University in the Netherlands.

  • Sara rowed with the University of Ottawa varsity rowing team throughout law school, and with the University of Victoria novice rowing team during the 2010-2011 season. In both 2012 and 2013 she represented the University of Ottawa at the Head of the Charles in Boston, the largest two-day regatta in North America, and was a recipient of the Ottawa Rowing Club’s “Female Sweep Crew of the Year” award.

  • While attending Grande Prairie Regional College, Sara was on the soccer and the cross-country running teams. In 2007 and 2008 she represented the College at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association National Open Cross Country Running Championships.

  • Member of the Board of Directors, Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique

  • Association des juristes d’expression française de la Colombie-Britannique

  • Canadian Bar Association

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