Thank you. Madam Speaker, this is a statement regarding my attendance at the Ministers of Justice meeting in Ottawa last week. The Honourable Allan Rock, Minister of Justice for Canada, hosted a two-day meeting of provincial and territorial Ministers responsible for Justice and the Solicitor General portfolios.
The agenda was large in scope and with regard to the number of issues that we tried to deal with. I'm pleased to provide a summary of discussions and recommendations with respect to those issues of largest interest and concern to the north and its residents.
With respect to aboriginal justice issues, Ministers agreed that the justice system has failed and is failing aboriginal peoples, particularly in failing to take a holistic, multi-disciplinary and healing approach. The Ministers agreed that the values of aboriginal people must be reflected in the justice system and governments must work with aboriginal communities on community-based crime prevention and crime reduction initiatives.
The Young Offenders Act was a matter of concern with all Ministers. The present government campaigned on the red book and promises contained in it which included: to increase penalties to young offenders for first and second degree murder, for up to ten and seven years respectively; to expand provisions for transfer of young offenders to adult court; and to allow correction officials to determine the length of closed custody incarcerations.
Some of these proposals caused considerable discussion and differences of opinion. It was recommended that the federal government introduce a spring bill with amendments which had consensus support while amendments lacking consensus should be referred to a broader review process, by way of a parliamentary committee.
The preliminary inquiry has always been an integral part of the criminal process. However, all Ministers were unanimous that the preliminary inquiry should be drastically curtailed, if not altogether abolished. Ministers agreed that this criminal procedure can be replaced by other means for disclosure of evidence. Such a reform could save significant court time and witness costs, we believe up to 20 to 30 per cent in most
jurisdictions. All of us agreed and urged the federal Minister to implement this reform as soon as possible.
Violence in Canada and Canadian society was also an agenda topic. Saskatchewan outlined the essential features of its proposed Victims of Domestic Violence Act. The act gives statutory sanction to mechanisms for emergency and other intervention, particularly for spouses who have been assaulted by someone in the immediate family and who need an urgent remedy. I will forward a copy of this proposed act to the interdepartmental committee that is formulating a violence strategy for the north, for its information and consideration.
A national strategy on community safety and crime prevention is being developed by Canada. To ensure a consistent and coordinated approach, Canada is proposing the establishment of a national crime prevention council. The Department of Justice will monitor proposals for the development of such a council, to ensure its mandate and representations reflects the reality of the Northwest Territories. We all agreed, as Ministers, that it was important that the momentum for reform should not be lost and proposed a follow-up conference in the fall of this year.
I also had an opportunity, as I said last week, to meet with the Minister of Justice, Allan Rock, the evening before the conference and discussed justice issues and concerns particular to the Northwest Territories. Ethel Blond-Andrew, the Member of Parliament for the Western Arctic, was in attendance. It had some very important results.
With respect to the firearms acquisition certificate, Canada had proposed that the Criminal Code amendments relating to the mandatory firearms training program be proclaimed in the Northwest Territories on April 1 of 1994. Such proclamation would have compelled anyone who wanted to acquire firearms to take a course and pass an examination in order to obtain the firearm acquisition certificate. The course and examination are, in the view of my department, not reflective of the requirements of the north and its residents, and should be significantly modified.
In addition, neither the Northwest Territories government or Canada had a system for delivery of this program. As a result of representations made to the Minister of Justice, Canada has postponed implementation of this program...
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...until September 1 of 1994.
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Considerations indicate that the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories should have a fourth judge appointed to it in the foreseeable future. I advised the federal Minister that it was the view of this government that a new judge appointed to the Supreme Court should be required to reside in a community situated within Nunavut.
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The federal Minister indicated he would be prepared to give favourable consideration recommending to the Prime Minister that a chief justice of the Supreme Court be named. I requested that such a recommendation be delayed until decision and appointment of a fourth judge was made.
Lastly, as Members know, responsibility for the administration of criminal justice in the north rests with the Minister of Justice for Canada. Again I asked the Honourable Allan Rock if Canada was prepared to consider discussions as to the feasibility of transferring or devolving such responsibility to this government in the foreseeable future. Without predicting possible or likely results, the Minister said he was prepared to enter into such discussions. Mr. Rock indicated a desire to initiate these discussions here in the Northwest Territories. Accordingly, I will be inviting Mr. Rock to visit the Northwest Territories within the next few months to commence what I hope will be positive and productive discussions in this area. Thank you.
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