Department of Justice Canada

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...

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 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...

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...

The Department of Justice Canada created the first performance monitoring framework (“the Framework”) for Canada’s criminal justice system in 2019. The Framework identified broad expected outcomes, measured by key indicators. The State of the Criminal Justice System Report presents quantitative...

The Departmental Performance Reports and Departmental Results are similar, but different functions that serve to outline the strategic outcomes of the Department of Justice, but also the accomplishments that occurred over the fiscal year. The report describes to the purpose of the Department of...

The Accessible Canada Act (2019) requires that Federal Departments publish Accessibility Plans. However, the mission behind this Plan goes far beyond meeting a requirement. The Act and this Plan push us toward a better future for our country – one where everyone can take part fully in society....

This Research in Brief describes navigator programs in Canada, a people-focused approach to enhancing access to justice by providing assistance to those with serious legal problems. The Department of Justice Canada uses a definition of access to justice that is broad and recognizes the importance...

A service standard is a public commitment to a measurable level of performance that clients can expect under normal circumstances. The Department of Justice has set three service standards for the timely and accurate delivery of Program-related services under normal circumstances. Acknowledgement...

The Department of Justice supports the Attorney General as a chief law officer of the Crown both in terms of the ongoing operations of the government as well as the development of new policies, programs and services for Canadians to support the Government's priorities. The Department provides an...

This study examines the way courts have applied hate as an aggravating factor at sentencing (subparagraph 718.2(a)(i) of the Criminal Code). The main purpose of this research was to identify the most common characteristics of offenders and victims of hate crimes, to identify the most frequent...

The objective of this project is to collect and collate research, describe existing methods to include the children’s voices in family law in Canada (and internationally where relevant), to identify themes, and to develop a comprehensive and accessible literature review. This review provides...