Aboriginal Peoples and the Criminal Justice System

Abstract

While some of the changes necessary to address the root causes of why Aboriginal people appear before the courts and are sentenced to jail in disproportionate numbers lie outside of the justice system, it is possible to make changes within the system that can have a real and significant impact. It is vital that such changes be undertaken in order that Aboriginal people experience the criminal justice system as one that can actually serve their needs. If the system is not changed, it will remain unable to resolve disputes such as the one that arose in Ipperwash.