Family Violence Initiative

Role of the Department of Justice Canada in Family Violence Issues

Our Mandate

The Department's role in family violence issues is based on its overall mandate, which includes two specific areas of responsibility:

1. Ensuring that Canada is a just and law-abiding society with an accessible, efficient and fair system of justice.

   In the area of family violence, this responsibility includes working with provincial and territorial governments to improve the ways in which the criminal justice system responds to cases of family violence.

2. Promoting respect for rights and freedoms, the law and the Constitution.

   In the area of family violence, this responsibility includes strengthening the criminal justice legal framework–by reinforcing existing policies and legislation and creating new policies or laws for dealing with family violence. These efforts must reflect the needs and realities of victims of family violence. They must also be consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

How are we involved?

Justice Canada has actively participated in the Government of Canada's Family Violence Initiative since it was first launched in 1988. In all, 15 federal government departments take part in the Family Violence Initiative with the aim of reducing family violence in Canada.

Every year, Justice Canada receives $1.13 million in funding through the Family Violence Initiative. The Department uses this money to:

• review, develop and reform criminal and civil justice laws and policy
• conduct research to develop family violence policy and laws
• provide project funding for community-based family violence projects
• provide public legal education and information on family violence

These activities help Justice Canada gain new knowledge and develop new information resources for use by a wide variety of groups. These groups include:

• federal, provincial and territorial decision makers and policy officers
• criminal justice system personnel working in policing, prosecutions, victims' services, corrections and the legal community
• members of the family violence policy community in Canada and abroad (academics, other experts, victims' advocates, non-governmental organizations, etc.)
• the general public
• the media

Who else is involved in Justice Canada?

Justice Canada also takes part in many related initiatives and activities, which are coordinated with the Family Violence Initiative.

For example, when family violence involves the following groups of people, the Family Violence Initiative works with the initiatives and activities focussing on:

• Victims of crime - Policy Centre for Victim Issues
• Youth - Youth Justice Renewal Initiative
• Aboriginal peoples - Aboriginal Justice Strategy
• Separating and divorcing parents - Supporting Families

Who else is involved outside Justice Canada ?

Other groups in Canada that take an active role in the effort to reduce family violence include:

• provincial, territorial and municipal governments
• First Nations associations
• non-governmental organizations
• professional associations
• academic institutions
• private sector organizations

Other federal departments that are a part of the Government of Canada's Family Violence Initiative work on a wide range of issues related to family violence, such as health, crime prevention, and housing. For more information on these other Departments and activities, please see the Government of Canada's Family Violence Initiative web site: 15 federal FVI partner departments.