![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.justice.gc.ca/img/cbjs-banner-en2.jpg)
Canada’s Black Justice Strategy
Black communities continue to live with the effects of prejudice, discrimination, and hatred—from unconscious bias to anti-Black hate crimes and violence. This has its origins in Canada’s history of colonialism, slavery, and segregation. Despite decades of work by Black communities to reduce the injustices affecting Black people, little has changed, and inequalities continue to exist in Canada.
The murder of George Floyd in Minnesota, US, on May 25, 2020, by a Minneapolis police officer galvanized mass international protests against anti-Black racism, systemic discrimination and police brutality. Similar devastating incidents have also occurred in Canada.
Canada’s Black Justice Strategy (the Strategy) will be the federal government’s response to address anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination that has led to the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system, including as victims of crime. The Strategy will aim to help ensure that Black people have access to equal treatment before and under the law in Canada.
The Strategy is being developed in consultation with Black communities across Canada, including an external Steering Group of experts and leaders. This work ensures that the Strategy reflects the diversity of experiences and regional realities of Black people in Canada, as well as different intersectionalities, such as ethnic or cultural origin, religion, gender, age, language, disability, sexual orientation, and multiracial heritage .
At the international level, the Strategy will help respond to the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent (UNDPAD 2015-2024)’s call to action, which recognizes the barriers experienced by Black people, including in the criminal justice system, and urges reform and modernization of justice systems across the world.
Completed
Current phase
Yet to occur
Current status
Establishment of Steering Group
Consultations with Black communities
Report from the external Steering Group
Development and release of the Government Response
Implementation of Canada's Black Justice Strategy
Read the history-making report of the external Steering Group and other publications informing the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy
Meet the external Steering Group that provided strategic advice to the Government of Canada on the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy
Learn about the consultations and engagements that occurred between September and October 2023 as part of the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy
Overview of the different phases and next steps for the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy
Answers to frequently asked questions about the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy
Additional information and resources
- Fact Sheet: Key Facts and Statistics about the Overrepresentation of Black People in the Criminal Justice System
- Fact Sheet: Key Historical Facts about Anti-Black Racism and Discrimination in Canada
Latest news
- June 27, 2024: Release of the external Steering Group Report A Roadmap for Transformative Change: Canada's Black Justice Strategy: an important milestone in the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy
- February 7, 2024: Supporting Black Canadians, now and into the future
- November 21, 2023: Helping vulnerable youth involved in the criminal justice system reintegrate into their communities
- September 5, 2023: Engaging with Black communities to address systemic discrimination and overrepresentation in the criminal justice system
- February 15, 2023: Critical work on the next phase of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy begins
- November 18, 2022: Providing legal support to pregnant racialized women and their families in Montréal
- November 18, 2022: Statement by Minister Lametti on Royal Assent of legislation that addresses systemic racism and discrimination in the criminal justice system
- November 17, 2022: Supporting legal services and supports for Black and racialized communities in Montréal
- November 12, 2022: Providing support to racialized members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities in Toronto
- November 9, 2022: Addressing systemic anti-Black racism and discrimination in the justice system in Toronto
Report a problem on this page
- Date modified: