This report was published by the Department of Justice Canada.

HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT:

Black people in Canada continue to live with the lingering effects of colonialism and slavery, including prejudice, discrimination, and hatred — from unconscious bias to anti-Black hate crimes and violence. These systemic inequalities have resulted in the overrepresentation of Black people in Canada’s criminal justice system, including as victims of crime.

To address these systemic issues, the Government of Canada is working with Black communities to develop Canada’s Black Justice Strategy and will work with provinces and territories to identify areas where further collaborative action could contribute to reducing overrepresentation.

The Implementation Plan establishes a 10-year framework to reduce the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system. It is part of the federal government response to the Report of the external Steering Group, A Roadmap for Transformative Change, publicly released in June 2024.

The release of the Implementation Plan is an important step toward the needed transformative change for the criminal justice system in Canada. The Government of Canada will continue to provide updates on progress and outcomes on the implementation of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy.