AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Black Youth and the Criminal Justice System: Summary Report of an Engagement Process in Canada

Between August 2020 and April 2021, the Department of Justice Canada (JUS), in collaboration with the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat at the Department of Canadian Heritage, conducted an engagement process to better understand the challenges facing Black youth who have been in contact with and involved in the Canadian youth CJS. This process supports the federal government’s broader efforts under Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy to address access to justice issues. It is also part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to the International Decade for People of African Descent, which has prioritized justice as one of three overarching pillars. The initiative also supports JUS’s 2021 Mandate Letter commitment to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Black people in the CJS.

A community-based approach was taken for this engagement process. The work was led by seven community liaisons who organized and guided focused virtual engagement sessions and meetings in six cities across Canada: Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Halifax. A total of 224 individuals with diverse intersectional backgrounds and experiences participated in these discussions. Participants included Black youth aged 18 to 29, who have had experiences with the CJS under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) when they were 12 to 17 years old, as well as family members and other key stakeholders who could also speak to the experiences of Black youth who have come into contact with the CJS. Each community liaison provided a site-specific summary of key findings and suggested priority areas for action based on their sessions. The following report summarizes the content of the seven site-specific summaries.

Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada
Charter Statement - Bill S-9: An Act to amend the Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Act

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 inconsistency with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms [“the Charter”]. By tabling a Charter Statement, the Minister is sharing some of the key considerations that informed the review of a bill for inconsistency with the Charter. A Statement identifies Charter rights and freedoms that may potentially be engaged by a bill and provides a brief explanation of the nature of any engagement, in light of the measures being proposed.

A Charter Statement also identifies potential justifications for any limits a bill may impose on Charter rights and freedoms. Section 1 of the Charter provides that rights and freedoms may be subject to reasonable limits if those limits are prescribed by law and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. This means that Parliament may enact laws that limit Charter rights and freedoms. The Charter will be violated only where a limit is not demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society.

A Charter Statement is intended to provide legal information to the public and Parliament on a bill’s potential effects on rights and freedoms that are neither trivial nor too speculative. It is not intended to be a comprehensive overview of all conceivable Charter considerations. Additional considerations relevant to the constitutionality of a bill may also arise in the course of Parliamentary study and amendment of a bill. A Statement is not a legal opinion on the constitutionality of a bill.

Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada
Charter Statement - Bill C-20: An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments

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 inconsistency with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms [“the Charter”]. By tabling a Charter Statement, the Minister is sharing some of the key considerations that informed the review of a bill for inconsistency with the Charter. A Statement identifies Charter rights and freedoms that may potentially be engaged by a bill and provides a brief explanation of the nature of any engagement, in light of the measures being proposed.

A Charter Statement also identifies potential justifications for any limits a bill may impose on Charter rights and freedoms. Section 1 of the Charter provides that rights and freedoms may be subject to reasonable limits if those limits are prescribed by law and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. This means that Parliament may enact laws that limit Charter rights and freedoms. The Charter will be violated only where a limit is not demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society.

A Charter Statement is intended to provide legal information to the public and Parliament on a bill’s potential effects on rights and freedoms that are neither trivial nor too speculative. It is not intended to be a comprehensive overview of all conceivable Charter considerations. Additional considerations relevant to the constitutionality of a bill may also arise in the course of Parliamentary study and amendment of a bill. A Statement is not a legal opinion on the constitutionality of a bill.

Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada
Charter Statement - Bill C-18: An Act respecting online communications platforms that make news content available to persons in 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 inconsistency with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms [“the Charter”]. By tabling a Charter Statement, the Minister is sharing some of the key considerations that informed the review of a bill for inconsistency with the Charter. A Statement identifies Charter rights and freedoms that may potentially be engaged by a bill and provides a brief explanation of the nature of any engagement, in light of the measures being proposed.

A Charter Statement also identifies potential justifications for any limits a bill may impose on Charter rights and freedoms. Section 1 of the Charter provides that rights and freedoms may be subject to reasonable limits if those limits are prescribed by law and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. This means that Parliament may enact laws that limit Charter rights and freedoms. The Charter will be violated only where a limit is not demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society.

A Charter Statement is intended to provide legal information to the public and Parliament on a bill’s potential effects on rights and freedoms that are neither trivial nor too speculative. It is not intended to be a comprehensive overview of all conceivable Charter considerations. Additional considerations relevant to the constitutionality of a bill may also arise in the course of Parliamentary study and amendment of a bill. A Statement is not a legal opinion on the constitutionality of a bill.

Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada
Legal Aid in Canada, 2020-21

This report provides national level statistics on revenues, expenditures, personnel, and caseloads from legal aid plans across Canada. Justice Canada has been producing the Legal Aid in Canada report since 2016-17, and this is the fifth annual edition. This year’s report includes data from the 2020-21 fiscal year, as well as data from the past five years of legal aid annual reports where there are notable trends. This year the detailed data tables are included at the end of the report. The 2020-21 fiscal year marks the first full year of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 had a profound impact on society, including the criminal and civil justice systems which resulted in courts having to close and/or shift focus to virtual hearings, and triage the most serious matters. These disruptions are evident in the data on legal aid service delivery.

While the data collection for Legal Aid in Canada is done at a national level, from year-to-year some limitations on data coverage exist and some legal aid plans may be unable to report all or some data elements. Due to these limitations, Canada-level totals may not include all provinces and territories.

Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada
Charter Statement - Bill C-22: An Act to reduce poverty and to support the financial security of persons with disabilities by establishing the Canada disability benefit and making a consequential amendment to the Income Tax Act

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 inconsistency with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms [“the Charter”]. By tabling a Charter Statement, the Minister is sharing some of the key considerations that informed the review of a bill for inconsistency with the Charter. A Statement identifies Charter rights and freedoms that may potentially be engaged by a bill and provides a brief explanation of the nature of any engagement, in light of the measures being proposed.

A Charter Statement also identifies potential justifications for any limits a bill may impose on Charter rights and freedoms. Section 1 of the Charter provides that rights and freedoms may be subject to reasonable limits if those limits are prescribed by law and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. This means that Parliament may enact laws that limit Charter rights and freedoms. The Charter will be violated only where a limit is not demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society.

A Charter Statement is intended to provide legal information to the public and Parliament on a bill’s potential effects on rights and freedoms that are neither trivial nor too speculative. It is not intended to be a comprehensive overview of all conceivable Charter considerations. Additional considerations relevant to the constitutionality of a bill may also arise in the course of Parliamentary study and amendment of a bill. A Statement is not a legal opinion on the constitutionality of a bill.

Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada
Fact Sheet - 2017 Update to the Federal Child Support Tables

This Fact Sheet provides general information about the 2017 update to the Federal Child Support Tables (Federal Tables).

The Federal Tables are part of the Federal Child Support Guidelines (regulations under the Divorce Act).

The Federal Tables are based on a mathematical formula that takes into account income as well as federal/provincial/territorial tax rules to produce child support amounts reflecting ability to pay. A software program that uses this formula generates basic monthly child support amounts for families of one to six or more children, for income levels in $1,000 increments (up to $150,000) for each province and territory. There is a separate set of tables for each province and territory because of differences in provincial and territorial tax rules.

Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada
Charter Statement - Bill C-21: An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms)

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 inconsistency with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms [“the Charter”]. By tabling a Charter Statement, the Minister is sharing some of the key considerations that informed the review of a bill for inconsistency with the Charter. A Statement identifies Charter rights and freedoms that may potentially be engaged by a bill and provides a brief explanation of the nature of any engagement, in light of the measures being proposed.

A Charter Statement also identifies potential justifications for any limits a bill may impose on Charter rights and freedoms. Section 1 of the Charter provides that rights and freedoms may be subject to reasonable limits if those limits are prescribed by law and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. This means that Parliament may enact laws that limit Charter rights and freedoms. The Charter will be violated only where a limit is not demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society.

A Charter Statement is intended to provide legal information to the public and Parliament on a bill’s potential effects on rights and freedoms that are neither trivial nor too speculative. It is not intended to be a comprehensive overview of all conceivable Charter considerations. Additional considerations relevant to the constitutionality of a bill may also arise in the course of Parliamentary study and amendment of a bill. A Statement is not a legal opinion on the constitutionality of a bill.

Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada
Parenting arrangements after divorce and separation: A 2018-2019 snapshot of the Survey of Family Courts

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 between legal representation and custody arrangements by parents’ gender.
This report includes data from six participating superior courts located in five jurisdictions across the country: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon. Coders manually input data from court files into an electronic survey administered by Justice Canada. The survey collects data that are disaggregated by gender. It also captures whether or not parties were in a same sex relationship; however, due to the small sample size, this report does not provide a separate analysis of same sex couple data. The survey predominantly covers parents who were married and later divorced, and as a survey of court data, does not collect information on separating parents who do not use the court system. The findings of this report cannot be generalized beyond the participating courts, nor can any causal linkages be made regarding legal representation and case outcomes.


Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada
A Summary of the Report on Examining the Social Security Tribunal’s Navigator Service: Access to Administrative Justice for Marginalized Communities

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 administrative justice systems of the provinces and territories where it may be beneficially adopted. In our view, the Navigator Service may also be beneficial in other jurisdictions beyond Canada. Second, the study aims to consider how the Navigator Service is doing with respect to marginalized communities, in particular. The SST serves users who are often at the intersections of being people with disabilities and people who live with low income. What we know from statistics is that many people who live with low income are also women, immigrants and / or visible minorities. The SST Navigator Service therefore presents an opportunity to consider how individuals from these and other marginalized communities are experiencing the system and how the service may be helpfully improved.



Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada
Panel Discussion Report: Indigenous and Restorative Justice Approaches

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. Several panellists highlighted the fundamental importance of community relationships in Indigenous justice approaches and the goal of meeting the needs of the collective rather than focusing primarily on the reparation of harm for an individual.

Canada’s adoption of the UN Declaration and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report provide support to Indigenous nations and groups that are asserting their rights to maintain and reclaim their own justice systems and legal traditions as an expression of the larger right of self-determination.

The revitalization of Indigenous legal traditions creates opportunities to expand the use of Indigenous, RJ or customary law approaches within the existing Canadian legal system. However, it is also important to be aware that RJ processes that address criminal offending in Canada exist within the Canadian CJS, an adversarial punitive system that has been used to control Indigenous peoples for centuries.

There is an urgent need to restore harmony back to individuals and communities using culturally specific, community-driven initiatives and programs, and customary law approaches. Indigenous justice principles exist to restore peace and equilibrium within a community, with the goal of community harmony and good order. The collective culture of Indigenous peoples and the use of consensus-based approaches when addressing harm are fundamental to Indigenous justice.

The development of Indigenous justice systems and legal traditions goes beyond the expansion of the use of Indigenous RJ principles and programs within the Canadian CJS. It is essential that RJ approaches be implemented with an understanding of underlying social issues, the impact of trauma, colonization, and systemic racism. They need to be flexible in order to adapt to specific cultural and community-based processes.

It is incumbent on legal professionals working in Canada’s criminal justice system, to better understand Indigenous perspectives, Canada’s colonial history, Indigenous ways of being, and the racism and discrimination embedded in Canada’s laws and systems, in order to move forward together.

Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada
JustFacts: The Impact of Mandatory Minimum Penalties on Indigenous Peoples and Black and Other Racialized Groups

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 of Canada. The primary aim of this research study was to examine whether Indigenous and racialized (i.e., non-White, non-Indigenous) offenders were differentially affected by MMPs over the ten-year period.

Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada
Use of Technology in the Family Justice System: Annotated Bibliography

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 review was to explore how technology has been used to increase access to or enhance the experience of individuals in the Canadian family justice system.

In 2019, there was initial interest in undertaking this study to explore how technology could help modernize the family justice system. When the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 global pandemic in March 2020, technology was quickly seen as a solution to keep courts open and maintain access to justice. This led to significant changes to how justice was administered in Canada.

This report is a first step to understanding how the use of technology could be expanded within the family justice system, and what practices involving technology could be maintained post-pandemic. It is still too early to know the impacts of these changes and what technologies may continue to be used. Further research in this area would be beneficial as new technologies are introduced and the impacts of the pandemic become more evident.

Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada
Charter Statement - Bill S-10: An Act to give effect to the Anishinabek Nation Governance Agreement, to amend the Sechelt Indian Band Self-Government Act and the Yukon First Nations Self-Government Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts

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 inconsistency with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms [“the Charter”]. By tabling a Charter Statement, the Minister is sharing some of the key considerations that informed the review of a bill for inconsistency with the Charter. A Statement identifies Charter rights and freedoms that may potentially be engaged by a bill and provides a brief explanation of the nature of any engagement, in light of the measures being proposed.

A Charter Statement also identifies potential justifications for any limits a bill may impose on Charter rights and freedoms. Section 1 of the Charter provides that rights and freedoms may be subject to reasonable limits if those limits are prescribed by law and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. This means that Parliament may enact laws that limit Charter rights and freedoms. The Charter will be violated only where a limit is not demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society.

A Charter Statement is intended to provide legal information to the public and Parliament on a bill’s potential effects on rights and freedoms that are neither trivial nor too speculative. It is not intended to be a comprehensive overview of all conceivable Charter considerations. Additional considerations relevant to the constitutionality of a bill may also arise in the course of Parliamentary study and amendment of a bill. A Statement is not a legal opinion on the constitutionality of a bill.

Organization: Department of Justice Canada | Ministère de la Justice Canada