National Network for Equitable Library Service

Canada's criminal justice system has had a troubled relationship with Aboriginal people. This discord can be seen in disproportionally high rates of incarceration and in the limited recognition given by the conventional system to the needs and values of Aboriginal communities. To compound matters, many remote communities are served by fly-in circuit courts, which visit the communities once a month, pronounce judgement on the cases presented to them, and then leave. Ross Green looks at the evolution of the Canadian criminal justice system and the values upon which it is based. He then contrasts those values with Aboriginal concepts of justice. Against this backdrop, he introduces sentencing and mediation alternatives currently being developed in Aboriginal communities, including sentencing circles, elder and community sentencing panels, sentence advisory committees, and community mediation projects. At the heart of the book are case studies of northern communities, which Green uses to analyse the successes of and challenges to the innovative approaches to sentencing currently evolving in Aboriginal communities across the country. He concludes with a discussion of the ways in which the Canadian criminal justice system can facilitate or obstruct such innovations. This book is based on the author's scholarly research; field trips to the communities profiled; interviews with judges, prosecutors, community leaders, and participants in sentencing circles, sentencing panels, and mediation committees; and the author's personal experiences as a defence lawyer in northeastern Saskatchewan. This book is aimed at those concerned with criminal justice as well as practicing lawyers.