November 29, 1999
MANITOBA GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHES
ABORIGINAL JUSTICE IMPLEMENTATION COMMISSION
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Commission to Make Practical Recommendations
For Improving Justice Programs and Services
The Manitoba government has established an Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission (AJIC) to develop an action plan based on the recommendations of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry (AJI), Premier Gary Doer, Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh and Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Minister Eric Robinson announced today.
The commission will be led by commissioners Paul Chartrand and Wendy Whitecloud and assisted by elder advisors Eva McKay and Doris Young. The commission will be aided by a co-ordinator from the Department of Justice who will serve as a link between the AJIC and the various departments and programs of government.
"When the AJI issued its report in 1991, one of the main recommendations was to set up a commission to oversee implementation," Doer said. "While we are extremely pleased to be proceeding with the commission, we recognize that we cannot erase the frustration and disappointment caused by nine years of inaction. Our aim is to put in place long-term strategies to deal with long-term inequities and injustices."
The AJIC will have operating funding of $180,000, coming from the Justice Initiatives Fund, and a mandate to review recommendations of the AJI and to develop implementation strategies for recommendations aimed at improving justice programs and services for First Nations and Métis people in Manitoba.
"We have instructed that all ministries, boards, agencies and commissions of government assist the AJIC to the fullest extent possible so that it may fulfil its mandate," Mackintosh said. "We wish the members of the commission well as they move ahead on the task of identifying priorities and developing implementation strategies."
Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Minister Eric Robinson welcomed the AJIC, noting that it will be an "action-oriented" commission that is focused on making practical recommendations.
"The establishment of the AJIC is a solid first step, but a decade of neglect of aboriginal justice concerns means that we have a lot of ground to make up," Robinson said. "Significant changes in the justice system are necessary if we are to restore trust among aboriginal people in Manitoba."
The Aboriginal Justice Inquiry was established in April 1988 to investigate the condition of aboriginal people in the justice system. The scope of the AJI included all aspects of the system--policing, courts and correctional services. The findings and recommendations of the AJI were released in its wide-ranging report of 1991.
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