Justice, jury systems in ‘crisis’ for Ontario First Nations, Iacobucci finds
TORONTO – A new report finds Ontario’s First Nations face a justice and jury…
Here at Maclean's, we appreciate the written word. And we appreciate you, the reader. We are always looking for ways to create a better user experience for you and wanted to try out a new functionality that provides you with a reading experience in which the words and fonts take centre stage. We believe you'll appreciate the clean, white layout as you read our feature articles. But we don't want to force it on you and it's completely optional. Click "View in Clean Reading Mode" on any article if you want to try it out. Once there, you can click "Go back to regular view" at the top or bottom of the article to return to the regular layout.
TORONTO – A new report finds Ontario’s First Nations face a justice and jury system “in a state of crisis.”
Former Supreme Court of Canada justice Frank Iacobucci says the problem is particularly acute in the north.
His report makes 17 recommendations aimed at ensuring the cultural values and ideologies of First Nations are better reflected in the justice system.
The province asked Iacobucci to look into the issue in 2011, after criminal trials and inquests ground to a halt over lack of aboriginal representation on juries.
The study finds the problem goes beyond juries to a broader conflict between First Nations and a justice system they say fails them.
Iacobucci says he hopes the report will serve as a wake-up call.
