Department of Justice Canada

This report focuses on providing demographic and socio-economic characteristics of child support payers and recipients enrolled and not enrolled in a MEP, the compliance and arrears status of payers enrolled in a MEP, ethnic and racial identity, and housing and residential situation of payers and...

Seniors safety, including the elimination of neglect, abuse and violence against older persons (hereafter referred to as “senior abuse”), is a national and international priority. In order to develop evidence-based solutions, data on the nature and extend of senior abuse are required. As law...

Purpose of the toolkit This toolkit was developed with input from family law and family violence experts from across Canada. It is designed to: Respond to research calling for a tool designed specifically for family law legal advisers to use in identifying and responding to family violence;...

Proposed legislative amendments to the Criminal Code to address repeat violent offending, crime involving firearms, dangerous weapons, intimate partner violence, and community safety. On May 16, 2023, the Government of Canada introduced proposed reforms to the Criminal Code to strengthen Canada’s...

This is the first known study in Canada to explore the views of parents regarding their experiences with child support issues. Several issues related to child support that were shared by the respondents need further exploration in the research, including the context of shared parenting time...

Youth believed victims require more attention and support from the Criminal Justice System (CJS). Victims should be aware of their rights, have an opportunity to tell their stories, and receive some form of restitution for the harm experienced.

This fact sheet is based on data obtained through special requests to Correctional Service Canada (CSC) and Statistics Canada (Census). It examines the number and rate of federal adult offenders under community supervision over time, and draws comparisons between Indigenous and non-Indigenous...

The release of this action plan is the result of the first and second phase of the consultation and cooperation process and reflects another important step on our journey of reconciliation. We acknowledge the tight timeframes imposed by the UN Declaration Act, which created challenges for us all....

This fact sheet is based on data obtained through special request to Correctional Services Canada (CSC) and Statistics Canada (Census). It examines the numbers and rate of federal adult offenders in custody supervision over time, and draws comparisons between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups....

This Research in Brief is based on publicly available data from a number of Justice Canada, Canadian government (federal and provincial/territorial), academic and community organization studies and publications released from 2009 to 2018, as well as information from various media sources....

This publication provides Canadians with a generalized view of how Canada's Justice System works. Specifically, it defines the differences between public and private law, how laws are kept up to date and the role that the Canadian Constitution in defining the fundamental rules and principles that...

This report offers an examination of data on violence within families, highlighting how it may be a relevant factor to consider in a family law dispute. In a family law context, violence, abuse and neglect within families can have wide-ranging, long-term effects. Family and criminal courts may...

Canadians indicated they are not very familiar with restorative justice (RJ), but after receiving an explanation, the majority of Canadians support the use of RJ and see the process as an effective way to repair harms caused by crime.

What we found: Young people believed that an accused should remain in the community on bail for all types of offences (with some conditions) while awaiting trial instead of being remanded to jail. Youth thought that accused persons should have greater support to help them meet reasonable bail...

What we found: Young people noted that the most important factors judges should consider in fair and equitable sentencing are personal circumstances and history of the accused person, and the nature of the crime, including the context, severity and motive for the crime. Ultimately, young people...

Youth want a criminal justice system (CJS) that shows empathy and takes into consideration the circumstances of individuals before and during sentencing. Youth feel that the CJS should use more alternatives to incarceration that are community-based, restorative and place a focus on...

Young people believed it is very important to measure the performance of the criminal justice system (CJS). They indicated that they wanted to know if the CJS effectively deters crime and keeps Canadians safe, treats people fairly and equitably, and holds offenders accountable for their actions.

Young people are highly aware of the relationship between mental health, addiction, and crime. Youth agree that the Criminal Justice System (CJS) must take a more active role to address mental health issues through programming and services both within and connected to the CJS.

Young people identified overrepresentation of the Indigenous population in Canada’s Criminal Justice System (CJS) as unfair, and largely a result of societal discrimination as well as systemic discrimination in the justice system. They also felt that it was symptomatic of the poverty and...

Reader's Note: This publication presents results of an online public opinion survey completed by a sample of Canadians who received an invitation through email, Facebook and Twitter (called "open link" sample; see method for more details). This survey mirrored a survey conducted with a...