Affidavit Secrets 2026


Course Date: February 18, 2026

Full Course Materials
Total: 3h 5min
Total Ethics: 30min
Course Agenda ▼

Course Introduction and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:05)

Raymond Lee — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
Andrew P. Morrison — Shields Harney, Vancouver
John Douglas Shields — Shields Harney, Vancouver

The Key Elements of Effective Affidavits (9:05 – 9:35)

  • counsel's role in affidavit preparation
  • the questions to ask
  • the five key elements: organized, focused, factual, admissible, and truthful

Aneka Jiwaji — Jiwaji Law, Vancouver

Professional Responsibility and Ethics in Affidavit Practice (9:35 – 9:55)

  • understanding the basic rules
  • managing unusual circumstances
  • staying out of trouble with The Law Society of BC

Andrew P. Morrison — Shields Harney, Vancouver

Bad Affidavits: How to Recognize and Avoid Common Mistakes (9:55 – 10:25)

  • speculation or argument
  • improper opinion
  • hearsay and double hearsay
  • conclusive
  • irrelevancy and other misadventures

John Douglas Shields — Shields Harney, Vancouver

BREAK (10:25 – 10:40)

Quiz #1 (10:40 – 10:55)

  • test your knowledge
  • vote on the best approach

Andrew P. Morrison — Shields Harney, Vancouver

How to Attack a Bad Affidavit (10:55 – 11:20)

  • the "legal judo" approach to dealing with poorly drafted affidavits
  • the types of badly drafted affidavits
  • options for dealing with bad affidavits
  • being thoughtful and strategic to accomplish client goals

Andrew P. Morrison — Shields Harney, Vancouver

Quiz #2 (11:20 – 11:35)

  • test your knowledge
  • vote on the best approach

Andrew P. Morrison — Shields Harney, Vancouver

View from the Bench Practice Panel (11:35 – 12:25)

  • common problems with affidavits and their remedies 
  • affidavit best practices for counsel
  • ethics and professionalism in the minefield of affidavit practice
  • dealing with problem affidavits in court

Associate Judge Amy Peck — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Aneka Jiwaji — Jiwaji Law, Vancouver
Andrew P. Morrison — Shields Harney, Vancouver
John Douglas Shields — Shields Harney, Vancouver

Closing Remarks (12:25 – 12:30)

Andrew P. Morrison — Shields Harney, Vancouver
John Douglas Shields — Shields Harney, Vancouver