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...

Since 1998, the Department of Justice Canada has conducted biennial surveysFootnote1 of lawyers’ and judges’ experiences of family law in Canada.Footnote2 These surveys collect information on the characteristics of practitioners’ family law cases, and their experiences with various family law...

The National Justice Survey is an annual public opinion research survey conducted to explore Canadians’ perceptions and knowledge of justice-related issues. Findings from the survey are used to inform policy development, public engagement, and communications.

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 report describes the findings from the 2022–2023 CAC/CYAC National Operational Survey. Given that many new CACs/CYACs have been established in the eight years since the last operational survey, the purpose of the survey was to provide an updated national picture of how CACs/CYACs work, their...

Child Advocacy Centres (CACs) and Child and Youth Advocacy Centres (CYACs) arose out of a need to reduce stress placed on child/youth victims during sexual abuse investigations. Previously, a lack of coordination between social services and the criminal justice system meant victims were...

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...

This report describes key findings from Justice Canada’s 2019 national Survey of Lawyers and Quebec Notaries on Family Law and Family Violence in Canada (“the 2019 survey”). The purpose of this survey was to assess how legal advisors identify and respond to family violence in their family law...

Justice Canada’s Open Government (OpenGov) Advisory Group is an internal advisory group that provides expert guidance and endorses the Department's open government initiatives. This internal advisory group reports annually to senior managers within the Department on their activities through a...

A wind of change is blowing on official languages in Canada. In the space of a few weeks this spring, the government unveiled a new Federal Action Plan with historic investments for the benefit of official language minority communities, and Parliament passed legislation representing the most...

In consultation and cooperation with Indigenous and provincial and territorial partners, Justice Canada is developing an Indigenous Justice Strategy to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice system. In the spirit of reconciliation, and out...

The United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) asserts Indigenous peoples’ “right to access to and prompt decision through just and fair procedures for the resolution of conflicts and disputes” with “due consideration to the customs, traditions, rules and legal...

Child-to-parent violence and aggression (CPVA) is described as a form of family violence characterized by a pattern (as opposed to a single incident) of violent and aggressive behaviours in children and youth towards their parents or primary caregivers. These behaviours may have several...

This report summarizes five thought papers written by subject-matter experts to assist family law legal advisers in identifying and responding to family violence in diverse communities. The thought papers focused on the following population groups: racialized groups; 2SLGBTQI+ individuals; Muslim...

The Department of Justice Canada has been leading efforts to modernize the federal Privacy Act, which is a key piece of Canada’s legal framework for protecting privacy interests. As part of this work, Justice Canada undertook an initial engagement with Indigenous governments and organizations...

Crime in Canada is a costly social phenomenon that affects everyone. The effects of crime are far-reaching and can include: -direct financial costs to the institutions that make up the criminal justice system; -ndirect costs to other social institutions and to the Canadian economy more broadly;...

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...

This report presents research findings on the delivery of legal aid and associated legal services to persons living in rural and remote areas of all provinces and territories. It is based on a review of the literature and interviews with 17 key respondents (with one or more from each...

In Canada, there are many ways to include children’s voices in family law matters such as through non-court child inclusive methods (e.g., children talking with their parents, children sharing their views with professionals) and court-based child inclusive methods (e.g., child legal...