Northern Directions:
A Policy Vision for Justice in the North - A Justice Canada Discussion Paper

March 2006

Principles Underlying the Northern Mandate

The Department’s northern work is subject to the rights, obligation and protections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is guided by the following principles:

• Respect for the diverse history, values and culture of northern peoples
• Mutual trust in our partners built through individual and government-to-government relationships
• Fairness and our obligation to serve the needs and interests of all northerners
• Transparency and openness in decision-making
• Accessibility of northerners to the justice system and to the services of the Department
• Inclusiveness – the involvement of northerners in the development of policy initiatives that impact on their lives
• Integration among the Department’s sectors active in the North, and of the Department with its northern partners
• Traditional Justice – the commitment to integrate traditional Aboriginal systems of law and justice into the mainstream justice system.
• Innovation – the value of a creative, flexible and open approach to customary ways of thinking about justice
• Dispute resolution by negotiation and mediation, and a reduced reliance on litigation
• Wellbeing and health of the Department’s northern personnel in the demands of their work.

Questions for Discussion:

What are the key principles that should guide Justice Canada in its northern mandate?

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