This glossary explains key terms used on this site and in the accompanying discussion paper. Definitions are descriptive, not legal advice, and are intended to support informed public and policy discussion.
Administrative Adjudication
Decision-making by a specialized public body rather than a court. Administrative adjudication typically handles high-volume or routine matters using procedures designed for efficiency and proportionality, with courts retaining oversight through judicial review.
Administrative Body
A public institution established by statute to carry out regulatory, adjudicative, or service functions. Administrative bodies may include tribunals, boards, commissions, or agencies. Some administrative bodies exercise decision-making powers similar to courts.
Adult Capacity
A person’s legal ability to understand information relevant to decisions and to appreciate the reasonably foreseeable consequences of those decisions. Capacity is decision-specific and may change over time.
Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT)
British Columbia’s online administrative tribunal for certain small civil, strata, and related disputes. The CRT is an example of non-court adjudication designed to improve accessibility and timeliness.
Court-Centred Model
A system in which courts are the primary forum for determining legal authority, resolving disputes, or approving routine matters, even where there is no conflict between parties.
Estate Administration
The process of managing and distributing a deceased person’s assets, paying debts, and carrying out the terms of a will or, where no will exists, the rules governing intestacy.
Fiduciary
A person or institution legally obligated to act in the best interests of another. Executors, trustees, attorneys under a power of attorney, and committees are fiduciaries.
Intestacy
The legal situation that arises when a person dies without a valid will. Statutory rules determine how the estate is distributed.
Judicial Review
A process by which courts review decisions of administrative bodies to ensure they are lawful, procedurally fair, and within jurisdiction. Judicial review is not a re-hearing of the facts.
No-Fault Model
A system in which compensation or benefits are provided without the need to prove fault or wrongdoing, typically through administrative processes rather than litigation.
Non-Adversarial Matter
A legal matter in which there is no dispute between parties, such as uncontested probate or agreed-upon care decisions. Many estate and adult capacity cases fall into this category.
Power of Attorney
A legal document authorizing one person to act on another’s behalf in financial or legal matters. In British Columbia, a power of attorney may continue during incapacity if it meets statutory requirements.
Probate
The legal process by which a will is recognized as valid and an executor is formally authorized to administer an estate. Probate is often required before assets can be transferred.
Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT)
A statutory office in British Columbia with responsibilities related to protecting the interests of vulnerable adults, managing certain estates, and overseeing fiduciaries in defined circumstances.
Representation Agreement
A legal document under British Columbia law that authorizes a representative to make personal, health, or routine financial decisions for another person, depending on the type of agreement.
Routine Determination
A decision involving predictable facts and limited discretion, often requiring verification rather than adjudication. Many estate and adult capacity matters are routine in nature.
Specialized Tribunal
An administrative body with focused subject-matter expertise, established to adjudicate a defined category of cases. Tribunals typically operate with procedures tailored to their mandate.
System Performance
How effectively a legal or administrative system delivers outcomes, measured by factors such as timeliness, cost, accessibility, consistency, and impact on other public systems.
Tribunal
A type of administrative body with adjudicative authority similar to a court, but operating under statutory procedures and subject to judicial oversight.
Uncontested Probate
A probate application in which there is no dispute about the will, the executor, or entitlement to the estate.
Why these definitions matter
Many of the issues discussed on this site turn on institutional design, not legal doctrine. Understanding how terms such as administrative adjudication, judicial review, and routine determination are used helps clarify what is—and is not—being proposed.
Learn more
Download the discussion paper (PDF)
Reforming Estate, Probate, and Adult Capacity Law in British Columbia