Canada’s Black Justice Strategy: Share Your Views

It is critical that Canada’s Black Justice Strategy be grounded in the experiences of Black people in Canada, reflecting the diverse history, backgrounds, experiences and regional realities of Black communities.

To do so, Justice Canada established contracts with 12 Black-led community-based organizations to lead consultations and engagements with Black communities across Canada from August to October 2023. For people who were unable to participate in community consultations and engagements, Justice Canada also launched an online survey available until October 20, 2023.

Both processes will inform the Steering Group’s Final Strategy Report, which will present recommendations for concrete actions to address the overrepresentation of Black people in Canada’s criminal justice system, including as victims of crime, and to reform and modernize the criminal justice system.

Community consultations and engagements

Community consultations and engagements were guided by the Framework, a document developed by the external Steering Group for Canada’s Black Justice Strategy. Using the Framework, 12 Black-led community-based organizations from across Canada led consultation and engagement activities to validate existing information and recommendations included in the Framework, identify missing or outdated information and recommendations, and highlight gaps in policies, legislation, data, services, initiatives, programs and community supports. This work took place from August to October 20, 2023.

Visit the websites of the 12 Black-led community-based organizations or contact them to find out more about their consultation and engagement activities:

What happens after you participate in community engagement

Each of the 12 organizations leading community consultations and engagements will deliver a summary report on what was shared to the Steering Group. These reports will inform the Steering Group’s Final Strategy Report.

Online survey

Black people of all ages living in Canada who were unable to participate in community engagements in their region, and representatives of organizations that provide justice-related services and supports to Black communities in Canada were invited to share their views by completing the short online survey. Please note that, for privacy protection reasons, youth currently involved in matters under the Youth Criminal Justice Act could not participate in this online survey.

As with the community consultations and engagements, the survey was developed from the Framework prepared by the external Steering Group for Canada’s Black Justice Strategy.

The online survey is now closed.

What happens after you complete the online survey

Justice Canada will receive your completed online survey. Using data collection tools, we will compile the anonymous, aggregated data for analysis. Justice Canada will share the results of the online survey with the external Steering Group to inform their Final Strategy Report.