Engagement

The Indigenous Justice Strategy was developed in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples, provinces and territories, to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system.

Engaging with First Nations, Inuit and Métis provided an opportunity to develop a culturally appropriate strategy that is distinctions based, informed by Indigenous ways of knowing and healing.

Two years of extensive Indigenous-led and Justice Canada-led engagement with First Nations, Inuit and Métis, including modern treaty signatories, self-governing nations and historic treaty partners, national and regional Indigenous organizations, communities and individuals, people with lived experience with the criminal justice system, justice practitioners and legal experts, as well as provinces and territories, were completed in December 2023. Read the reports summarizing Justice Canada-led engagement on the Indigenous Justice Strategy.

The Indigenous Justice Strategy Key Elements Consultation Draft (the Consultation Draft) was published in June 2024. It outlined 24 Shared Priority Actions identified during the two-year engagement process, with a focus on supporting the revitalization of Indigenous justice systems and legal traditions and creating change within 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 the feedback provided by 38 Indigenous groups funded by Justice Canada to lead their own independent engagement efforts.

Status

Related Links

  • Read the Indigenous Justice Strategy Key Elements Consultation Draft (HTML|PDF)

The Consultation Draft was available for online public validation and comments from July 18 to September 20, 2024. Justice Canada also consulted directly with a targeted group of Indigenous peoples, as well as the provinces and territories.

The validation process helped to ensure the Consultation Draft accurately captured the priorities and perspectives identified by Indigenous people as necessary to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in the justice system.

A parallel process to co-develop distinctions-based chapters of the final Indigenous Justice Strategy took place through summer and fall of 2024. Tables were established with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) and the Inuit Justice Working Group (Nunatsiavut Government, Makivvik, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., and Inuvialuit Regional Corporation), Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), the Métis National Council (MNC) (which at the time included  Métis Nation of Saskatchewan (MNS), Métis Nation of Ontario, Métis Nation of British Columbia, and Métis Nation of Alberta), and two Modern Treaty Partners: the Cree Nation Government and Délı̨nę Got’ı̨nę Government.

As a result of co-development, the proposed Indigenous Justice Strategy highlights First Nations, Inuit and Métis-specific priorities for proposed changes to programs, policies and laws.

What happens next

Budget 2024 provided $87 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, and $11.3 million per year ongoing, to renew important Indigenous justice programming at Justice Canada, including:

  • $56.4 million over five years and $11.3 million per year ongoing for the Indigenous Justice Program and the Indigenous Courtwork Program
  • $5.5 million over three years to continue work on TRC Call to Action 50 towards the revitalization of Indigenous laws, legal systems and traditions
  • $25.1 million over three years to renew funding to enable Indigenous peoples’ capacity building and engagement on implementation of the Indigenous Justice Strategy.

In the short term, the release of the Indigenous Justice Strategy and the continued work at collaborative tables with Indigenous peoples, provinces and territories, are essential actions to foster a more systemic, coordinated, whole-of-government approach to address the urgent crisis of Indigenous overrepresentation, improve community safety and support the revitalization of Indigenous laws and legal orders.

Justice Canada aims to provide progress updates on the development of regional, cost-shared implementation plans.