Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to have this opportunity to address some concerns and misperceptions about the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The Youth Criminal Justice Act, or the YCJA as it is also known, is new federal legislation that came into effect on April 1, 2003. This act replaces the existing federal Young Offenders Act. The YCJA takes a new approach to youth justice, focusing on addressing the causes of youth crime, rehabilitating young people and ensuring meaningful consequences for youth who commit offences.
The Youth Criminal Justice Act encourages both police and the courts to consider alternative measures before proceeding with charges against a young person. We have been diverting young offenders out of the courts and into community justice committees for many years.
If a young person is charged and convicted, the YCJA sets out that the judge must consider alternatives to custody. These could include fines, restitution, community service, or community supervision. Young people will be sentenced to custody for repeat or serious offences.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Justice has been preparing for the Youth Criminal Justice Act for some time. The department provided extensive training on the new act to employees and all of the partners in the justice system.
The department has also committed more resources to programs impacted by the YCJA. Recognizing that more youth will serve sentences in the community, three more community corrections workers were hired to supervise youth. The department has also provided up to $20,000 for every community to hire a part-time justice coordinator as more young people will be diverted to community justice committees.
The Government of the Northwest Territories has its own youth legislation based on Canada's old Young Offenders Act. Our act sets out that youth convicted of territorial offences will be treated differently than adults. During the last session we made necessary amendments to comply with the new Youth Criminal Justice Act in the short term. In this session, Mr. Speaker, I plan to introduce a new Youth Justice Act that will replace the NWT's Young Offenders Act. This act will be based on the same principles as the YCJA and apply to youth who commit territorial offences, such as those in the Motor Vehicles Act or Liquor Act.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to address the Quebec Court of Appeal decision and how it relates to the YCJA and the Northwest Territories. It has been reported that this decision resulted in the release of young offenders. This is not correct. This decision had nothing to do with the release of young offenders in the NWT. The Quebec Court ruled that the burden should not be on youth who commit serious violent offences to say why they should not receive an adult sentence. This means the Crown must now prove that an adult sentence is required.
I hope that these comments clarify any misperceptions that people may have about the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause