Department of Justice Canada

Section 4.2 of the Department of Justice Act requires the Minister of Justice to prepare a Charter Statement for every government bill to help inform public and Parliamentary debate on government bills. One of the Minister of Justice’s most important responsibilities is to examine legislation for...

Section 4.2 of the Department of Justice Act requires the Minister of Justice to prepare a Charter Statement for every government bill to help inform public and Parliamentary debate on government bills. One of the Minister of Justice’s most important responsibilities is to examine legislation for...

The Survey of Family Courts (SFC) is a long-standing online survey that documents detailed information about the contents of court orders and separation agreements. This snapshot of data collected between 2018 and 2019 focuses on custody and access, legal representation, and the relationship...

The courts are a pillar of Canada’s democracy, an essential service to Canadians, and a critical support to economic activity. However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, courts were forced to significantly curtail operations in response to physical distancing and other public health and...

This research study was undertaken with a view to fulfilling two goals. The first is to take stock of the strengths and weaknesses of the SST Navigator Service with a view to sharing knowledge about this novel service more broadly among administrative tribunals at the federal level, and in the...

The Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) came into force on April 1, 2003 to assist in reducing the notably high Canadian youth custody rate. The YCJA promotes youth rehabilitation and reintegration into society through diversion from the formal justice system and greater community involvement in...

This report provides a review of recent developments in regulatory action and program activity aimed at improving access to justice through assistance provided by non-lawyers in community-based not-for-profit settings. We call this type of assistance “community justice help”. The purpose of this...

The virtual panel explored how Indigenous justice, RJ or customary law approaches are used in two First Nations and one Inuit context. The panel helped to highlight that while RJ principles may have strong parallels to Indigenous legal principles and traditions, they are not the same thing....

This fact sheet presents information on Canadian federal offenders who were admitted to federal custody between fiscal years 2010/11 and 2019/20 for an offence punishable by a mandatory minimum penalty (MMP) as the most serious offence on sentence. Data were obtained from the Correctional Service...

The Department of Justice Canada Research and Statistics Division, in collaboration with the Coordinating Committee of Senior Officials - Family Justice Research Sub-committee, reviewed research and evaluation studies on the use of technology in the family justice system. The purpose of the...

This study uses data from the Measures to Address Prostitution Initiative (MAPI) to present some of the socio-demographic characteristics and experiences of people who provide or have provided sexual services in Canada’s sex trade and received support services through organizations funded by the...

Section 4.2 of the Department of Justice Act requires the Minister of Justice to prepare a Charter Statement for every government bill to help inform public and Parliamentary debate on government bills. One of the Minister of Justice’s most important responsibilities is to examine legislation for...

This report examines the impact of the lack of access to legal aid in family law cases in Canada. The objective is to identify challenges that people face in accessing justice for family law disputes in the absence of legal aid, and to analyze the impacts of the lack of access to family legal aid...

Surveys about legal problems and needs are undertaken in countries around the world. In 2021, the Canadian Legal Problems Survey (CLPS) was conducted to identify the kinds of serious legal problems people face, how they attempted to resolve them, and how these experiences have impacted their...

In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada released 94 Calls to Action (CTA) to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation. In CTA 40, the Commission focussed on victims’ programs and services by calling on all levels of...

In recent academic, professional and media conversations regarding pre-trial detention in Canada, a new expression has been taking shape. Specifically, an increasing number of people have claimed that “Bail is Broken” in this country. It is likely safe to assume that the generic reference to...

Section 4.2 of the Department of Justice Act requires the Minister of Justice to prepare a Charter Statement for every government bill to help inform public and Parliamentary debate on government bills. One of the Minister of Justice’s most important responsibilities is to examine legislation for...

Section 4.2 of the Department of Justice Act requires the Minister of Justice to prepare a Charter Statement for every government bill to help inform public and Parliamentary debate on government bills. One of the Minister of Justice’s most important responsibilities is to examine legislation for...

These fact sheets are based on data from the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS) Juristat Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2016, 2017, 2020.

This public opinion research report presents the results of a review of scientific literature, individual interviews with Canadian and international researchers as well as representatives of Canada’s provincial and territorial governments, and a group interview with members of the Canadian...