Aboriginal criminal justice ten years after Gladue: Perspectives from Quebec and Canada

The Supreme Court of Canada’s groundbreaking decision in R. v. Gladue acknowledged how systemic factors contribute to the overrepresentation of aboriginal people in the criminal justice system; it explicitly endorsed restorative justice; and it underscored the need to develop creative responses appropriate to the unique circumstances of Aboriginal individuals and communities.

By setting out the steps according to which judges must take systemic and background factors into account in sentencing, Gladue was a unique call for change, a call that was both precise and open at once.

This roundtable discussion will consider the responses to Gladue in Québec and across Canada, including developments in and around regular courts, as well as the creation of specialized courts. The purpose of the event is to stimulate thoughtful, informed critical discussion on how the Gladue principles can be understood and meaningfully integrated in Québec, with close attention to practical on-the-ground realities.

Speakers:

• Professor Kent Roach (University of Toronto Law School)
• Jonathan Rudin (Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto)
• Paul Turmel (Native Parajudicial Services of Québec)
• Judge Louis Legault (Cour du Québec)
• Donald Worme (Semagamis, Worme & Missens, Saskatoon)

The broader Montreal and McGill communities, including members of the criminal law bar, aboriginal communities, law students and faculty, will be encouraged to attend and participate.