Report on the Nunavik Itinerant Court Situation

August 5, 2022

QUEBEC CITY – Minister of Justice, Attorney General and Minister of the French Language of Québec Simon Jolin-Barrette and President of Makivik Corporation Pita Aatami announced the filing of the Report on the Nunavik Itinerant Court Situation.

The report was prepared by Mtre Jean-Claude Latraverse, who worked for many years as a defence lawyer and prosecutor in the itinerant court. Mtre Latraverse was appointed in October 2021 by the Minister of Justice and Makivik Corporation to explore solutions to improve court wait times and conditions, optimize hearing preparation and enable the Inuit community to actively participate in conflict resolution.

Containing 60 recommendations, the report is the result of several months of field observations and interviews with various Nunavik stakeholders. It was produced in collaboration with the Ministère de la Justice and the region’s social and judicial partners.

Quotes

“We thank Mtre Latraverse for his report, which is the result of a close collaboration between the Government of Québec and the Inuit community. Now, working with Makivik and local social and judicial partners, we will review its recommendations in order to improve justice for the Inuit. The collaboration of all Nunavik justice stakeholders will of course be essential.”

Simon Jolin-Barrette, Minister of Justice and Minister of the French Language of Québec

“With this report and the review of its recommendations, we are moving in the right direction towards improving justice in Nunavik. The collaboration with Makivik Corporation will allow us to implement, from nation to nation, innovative and sustainable solutions to improve access to justice in the Inuit communities.”

Ian Lafrenière, Minister Responsible for Indigenous Affairs

“Mtre Latraverse worked on this report using his experience in Nunavik and in meeting with many Inuit in Nunavik. Having lived among the Inuit community for many years, Mtre Latraverse knows very well how the itinerant court can be improved and better adapted. Makivik will continue to push for justice services that are more culturally relevant and for the Inuit to play a bigger role in the design and implementation of a system that makes sense for our communities. Makivik is looking forward to working with all our partners to ensure that the recommendations found in the report are implemented in a timely fashion.”

Pita Aatami, President of Makivik Corporation

Additional information

Nunavik is composed of 14 isolated villages with no road access. The Court of Québec has jurisdiction over nearly all criminal and youth protection matters. It holds an itinerant court as needed in nine out of the 14 villages.

Founded in 1978, Makivik Corporation is an Inuit organization headquartered in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik. It represents the interests of some 10,000 Inuit in their relations with the governments of Québec and Canada.

Related links

To view the Report on the Nunavik Itinerant Court Situation (in French only): https://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/user_upload/contenu/documents/En__Anglais_/centredoc/rapports/systeme-judiciaire/RA_Report_Latraverse_2022-07-06_MJQ.pdf

Link to the Ministère de la Justice website: https://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca/en/

Link to the Makivik Corporation website: https://www.makivik.org

NT5