Status Alert
We are pleased to report that a settlement reached in this action was approved by the British Columbia Supreme Court on October 22, 2025.
Please note that the Claims Period has not yet started. Class Counsel and the Administrator are currently preparing to launch the Claims Process. Claims Forms will be available once the Claims Period has begun.
If you wish to make a Claim, you are not required to do anything right now. Check this website or the Administrator’s website regularly to see if the launch date has been announced. You can also provide your email address to the Administrator to receive an email notification when the Claims Period begins.
If you have already provided an email or mailing address to Class Counsel or the Administrator, you will receive notice from the Administrator when the Claims Period begins.
If you previously provided your contact information to Class Counsel or the Administrator, but your contact information has changed, please email the Administrator at [email protected] or call the Administrator at 877 916-1122 to provide your updated contact details.
Once the Claims Period begins, you will have 12 months to submit your Claim.
For further information:
Phone: 604.283.7861
Email: [email protected]
Koskie Minsky LLP and McEwan Partners have commenced a class action against the Province of British Columbia alleging human rights violations relating to the over-use of solitary confinement in British Columbia prisons.
The Amended Notice of Civil Claim filed on February 1, 2019 alleges, among other things, that British Columbia’s overuse of solitary confinement is negligent and constitutes a number of breaches of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in placing prisoners in solitary confinement for prolonged periods.
On December 22, 2020, the Court certified the lawsuit as a class action. The class is composed of those persons who, between April 18, 2005 and December 22, 2020, were involuntarily subjected to either:
- “Prolonged Solitary Confinement” (being in Solitary confinement for at least fifteen consecutive days); or
- Solitary confinement when the person suffers from a mental illness (“Solitary Confinement of Mental Health Disordered Inmates”) in a B.C. correctional centre as defined in s. 1 of the Correction Act. S.B.C. 2004, c. 46.
Naveah North is the representative plaintiff. She was incarcerated at Prince George Regional Correction Centre, in Prince George, British Columbia from April 2014 to May 2018 and has been subjected to both Prolonged Solitary Confinement and Solitary Confinement of Mental Health Disordered Inmates during her incarceration.
For further information:
Phone: 604.283.7861
Email: [email protected]
Latest Developments
- July 25, 2025
- A proposed Settlement has been reached in this action. The proposed Settlement requires court approval. The Settlement Approval Hearing will be held on October 22, 2025. Class Members have until September 2, 2025 to voice their support for or objection to the proposed Settlement. Class Members who were placed in Separate Confinement and/or Segregation after December 22, 2020 have until September 2, 2025 to opt out of the action. For more information on the proposed Settlement, how to voice your support or objection for the proposed Settlement, or how to opt out of the action, please consult the Short Form Notice or Long Form Notice, or visit the Administrator’s website at: proactio.ca/bcsegregation.
- January 4, 2021
- On December 22, 2020, the Honourable Justice Smith certified this action to proceed as a class action. The class currently includes those who, between April 18, 2005 and the present, were involuntarily subjected to separate confinement and/or segregation at BC Correctional Centres, if either: their segregation was for at least 15 consecutive days, or if the defendant knew or ought to have known that they were suffering from a mental illness. The reasons for the Court’s decision are attached here.
- August 21, 2020
- The certification hearing is scheduled to proceed starting on August 24, 2020.
News Release
- November 27, 2018 Koskie Minsky and McEwan Partners Commence Solitary Confinement Class Proceeding Against British Columbia Government
Documents
Who are the Lawyers?
At McEwan Partners the team of lawyers working on this class action includes;
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a class action?
A class action is a lawsuit which provides a method for a large group of people with common claims to join together to advance one large claim. Class actions are a more efficient and cost-effective way for groups of people with common claims to gain access to the legal system and seek justice.
How do I know if I am a Class Member?
The certification order will always contain a description of who is a class member. We post the certification orders in our actions so that you can review them. You do not need to “sign up” to become involved in a class action. If you are included in the class description, you are automatically a class member who will be affected by the outcome of the class action unless you decide to “opt out”.
Can I opt out of a class action and pursue independent legal action?
Yes. When a class action is certified, class members are always given an opportunity to opt out of the action. A deadline is imposed for opting out. If you do not opt out by the given deadline, class members will be bound by the outcome of the class action, whether it is successful or unsuccessful. If you opt out, you will not receive any benefit if the action is successful.
Will there be any cost to class members for legal fees?
Typically, class actions are handled on a contingency fee basis, which means that the class action lawyers will be paid only if the class action is successful at trial or settled. In that case, class counsel fees may be paid by the defendants or out of the settlement or judgment proceeds as approved by the court. In addition, the plaintiff may seek funding assistance from the Class Proceeding Fund which, if funding is granted, may provide funding for disbursements.
I still have questions
For more information please visit the website: https://bcsolitaryconfinementclassaction.ca/
Contacts
To contact counsel at McEwan Partners about this class action you may
Phone: 604.283.7861
or
Email: [email protected]
May 21, 2026