Publications
This webpage contains the Indigenous Justice Strategy and other publications that informed its development.
Indigenous Justice Strategy
Developed in consultation and cooperation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis, the Indigenous Justice Strategy sets out a vision and priority areas for transformative reforms throughout the justice system to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in contact with the criminal justice system.
The Strategy is informed by a vision based in Indigenous holistic, trauma-informed understandings of justice. It aims to advance self-determination and the revitalization of Indigenous laws and legal orders, and includes chapters co-developed with First Nations, Inuit and Métis that specify unique, distinctions-based principles and priorities.
Key Elements Consultation Draft
The Indigenous Justice Strategy Key Elements Consultation Draft (the Consultation Draft) outlines 24 Shared Priority Actions identified during the engagement process, with a focus on supporting the revitalization of Indigenous laws and legal orders while also making changes to the existing Canadian justice system.
The Shared Priority Actions in the Consultation Draft reflect the information gathered during Justice Canada-led engagements, as well as feedback provided by 38 Indigenous governments, communities and organizations funded by Justice Canada to lead their own independent engagement efforts.
Reports
The following three reports provide the foundation for the Indigenous Justice Strategy:
Wave 1 (November 2022 to March 2023)
- What We Learned Report: Wave 1 Justice Canada-led engagement on the Indigenous Justice Strategy (HTML│PDF)
Wave 2 (March to December 2023)
- What We Learned Report: Wave 2 Justice Canada-led engagement on the Indigenous Justice Strategy (HTML│PDF)
- People with Lived Experience - What We Learned Report: Wave 2 Justice Canada-led engagement (HTML│PDF)
Developing an Indigenous Justice Strategy
To inform the development of the Indigenous Justice Strategy, Justice Canada commissioned a compilation of thought papers by Indigenous academics and lawyers on Indigenous justice systems and legal traditions through a distinctions-based lens representing perspectives of First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Indigenous people living in urban areas.
The four papers present each authors’ aspirational visions for the future, based on their expertise, traditional values and knowledge of the justice system. While each paper is written by an expert from within each distinction, it is important to note that there is great diversity within each of these distinctive groups, reflecting differing traditions and contexts that bring varying perspectives.
JustFacts: The Overrepresentation of Indigenous People in the Criminal Justice System
This fact sheet presents a statistical overview of the key areas of overrepresentation of Indigenous people at different stages of the criminal justice system. It summarizes data from sources including Statistics Canada, the Department of Justice Canada’s National Justice Survey, Public Safety Canada, and the Office of the Correctional Investigator.
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