Department of Justice Canada

This document presents findings from a study that was conducted to understand how children’s views are included in family law disputes in Canada, including through the use of Voice of the Child Reports (VCRs). VCRs, also called Views of the Child Reports or Hear the Child Reports, are...

As part of the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking (2019-2024), this report provides an update on the most current strategies used by investigators in the field and is intended to improve the overall responses of law enforcement agencies to this national priority. This report also aims...

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...

This Litigation Year in Review 2016 is intended to provide Canadians with some highlights of the progress we made this past year in several important areas of litigation. In reviewing and rethinking the Government’s litigation strategy over the course of 2016, I focused on three main themes:...

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....

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...

The Aboriginal Justice Strategy (AJS), now known as the Indigenous Justice Program, supports community-based justice programs that offer alternatives to mainstream justice processes in appropriate circumstances. Created to provide alternatives to the mainstream system, the Indigenous Justice...

How Does Canada's Court System Work details the different levels of courts that exist within Canada's justice system, the means of organization of the courts and the roles each levels of the judiciary play. It speaks to the alternative methods for dispute resolution that exist including...

Highlights activities and program developments from several victim serving organizations across the country. More in depth, the PCVI News covers the work done by the Policy Centre for Victims Issues who work on improving and understanding the experience of victims and survivors of crime in the...

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...

Over half of Canadians indicated that administration of justice offences (AOJOs) would be better dealt with outside of the courts. Canadians also thought an accused person's circumstance should be taken into account in tailoring responses to AOJOs/ What we also found: Three quarters (75%) of...