On March 14, federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General David Lametti spoke of the financial support being given to the Restorative Research, Innovation and Education Lab at Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law in Nova Scotia.
According to a news release, Ottawa has given $644,508 to the project — more commonly known simply as the Restoration Lab — since 2019 through the federal Justice Partnership and Innovation Program.
Lametti press secretary Chantalle Aubertin confirmed the announcement had been delayed “as our government was working to protect Canadians and slow the spread of COVID-19 across the country.”
According to a federal government webpage, restorative justice referrers to “an approach … that seeks to repair harm by providing an opportunity for those harmed and those who take responsibility for the harm to communicate about and address their needs in the aftermath of a crime.”
In many cases, restorative justice is being used to address the over-representation of Indigenous offenders in Canada’s criminal justice system.
The news release notes this, stating that “Indigenous legal traditions … have been used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years to resolve disputes.”
“Using this funding, the … Restorative Lab, through its National Restorative Justice Acceleration & Innovation Initiative, is working collaboratively with all levels of government and other stakeholders towards a robust national strategy to accelerate and sustain the development and implementation of restorative approaches in our justice system by means of research, innovation, education, and capacity building,” the release states.
Funds will go toward a “national collaborative learning conference” — an event that will “help mobilize key partners to share knowledge, expertise, and experience about the growth of restorative justice in Canada.”
Justice Minister David Lametti
“They enable access to community-based and culturally responsive justice mechanisms,” Lametti said. “The funding we are announcing will help the Schulich School of Law accelerate the use of restorative justice across the country.”
The Restorative Lab’s website states that it “aims to help organizations, systems, and communities take a restorative approach that will improve quality of life for people and communities … with a focus on justice and care for those who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized.”
In July 2021, Lametti announced the launch of a “call for proposals” to support projects to address barriers faced by Indigenous peoples in Canada’s criminal justice system. The call was part of a four-year, $10-million funding initiative centred on investigating and addressing the over-representation of Indigenous people in the justice system.
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