Mr. Chairman, the committee felt that many residents do not know their rights and obligations. The present system is an imported system based upon the English model of justice. It does not adapt well to the needs of aboriginal residents in small remote communities. Many NWT residents have their own cultural beliefs and traditions including dispute-settling mechanisms which are different from the imported legal model. They feel that the present criminal justice system is biased against them.
Members heard and recounted examples of inequity of treatment by the system, including treatment of aboriginal persons by law officers. The committee felt that, while improvements are needed to the legal aid system, this cannot be done without considering the major problems in the NWT justice system as a whole.
Motion To Accept Recommendation 7, Carried
Our committee, then, makes two recommendations. First I move that government should carry out an independent review of both the legal aid program and the whole criminal justice system itself. This review should focus in upon whether people are treated equally and fairly, whether services are of a consistently high quality, and whether programs and services are cost effective.