Department of Justice Canada

The December 2021 Mandate Letter tasked the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada with the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy (the Strategy) to address the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system, including as victims of crime. An external...

The Victims of Crime Research Digest will be an annual, joint publication featuring short articles dedicated to victims of crime research. Research is an important tool in helping to incorporate victims' voices on many issues in the criminal justice system and to affect change in legislation,...

This study was undertaken by the Department of Justice Canada to better understand how Gladue reports are being prepared across the country and how they and Gladue principles are being considered by the courts. The study involved an environmental scan of public websites and a review of 530 cases...

This fact sheet presents information on criminal court cases where the most serious offence in the case is a drug-related offence subject to a mandatory minimum penalty (MMP). Data were obtained through a request to the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics (CCJCSS) and...

The Department of Justice Canada has contracted community-based research to better understand the lives of individuals involved in the sex trade. The former 2014 legislation, Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, also known as the “Nordic” model or approach, targets...

Indigenous people are overrepresented in Canada's criminal justice system as both victims and as people accused or convicted of crime. There are only a few national data sources that provide criminal justice statistics disaggregated by Indigenous identity. National data that does exist to...

From 2016 to 2019, the Department of Justice Canada reached out to young Canadians for their views on justice issues. The youth selected for these youth engagement projects were not provided with specialized training or information, but their opinions and perspectives on justice issues can inform...

From 2016 to 2019, the Department of Justice Canada reached out to young Canadians for their views on justice issues. The youth selected for these youth engagement projects were not provided with specialized training or information, but their opinions and perspectives on justice issues can inform...

From 2016 to 2019, the Department of Justice Canada reached out to young Canadians for their views on justice issues. The youth selected for these youth engagement projects were not provided with specialized training or information, but their opinions and perspectives on justice issues can inform...

From 2016 to 2019, the Department of Justice Canada reached out to young Canadians for their views on justice issues. The youth selected for these youth engagement projects were not provided with specialized training or information, but their opinions and perspectives on justice issues can inform...

The Department of Justice Canada (JUS) began a review of the criminal justice system (CJS) in 2015 to support the mandate of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (Office of the Prime Minister, 2015). The performance of the system was a key focus. The State of the Criminal...

In Winter 2019, the Research and Statistics Division of the Department of Justice Canada engaged the authors to write a “think piece” focused on the Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) Call to Action (CTA) 34, and more specifically, 34.4. The objective was to “engage with experts in FASD [Fetal...

Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a common neurodevelopmental disability (NDD) caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, face high rates of criminal justice system contact and are overrepresented in correctional and forensic settings. As a result, forensic mental health...

This literature review addresses the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the Canadian criminal justice system. It examines the extent of overrepresentation, its underlying causes, and some initiatives taken to address the issue. The report also identifies gaps in the efforts to address...

The Handbook for Police and Crown Prosecutors purposes itself to provide police and Crown prosecutors with guidelines for the investigation and prosecution of criminal harassment cases and to promote an integrated criminal justice response to stalking. The Handbook was developed by a working...

The Report is divided into two parts: the first part of the report addresses the issue of cyberbullying and includes information relating to the scope of the problem, the impact of cyberbullying on victims, existing legislative and policy responses and options for Criminal Code reform to address...

Between August 2020 and April 2021, the Department of Justice Canada (JUS), in collaboration with the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat at the Department of Canadian Heritage, conducted an engagement process to better understand the challenges facing Black youth who have been in contact with and...

Black people are overrepresented in Canada's criminal justice system as both victims and people accused or convicted of crime. This fact sheet presents a statistical overview of the key areas of overrepresentation of Black people at different stages of the criminal justice system. National...