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Objective 2: Explore the implications of social and cultural factors for sustainable development in the context of the Justice policy mandate. Sustainable development means seeking solutions to issues that best address the mix of biophysical, economic and social challenges, including their cultural dimension. Social and cultural issues are probably the least explored element in the context of sustainable development, and current work in this area aims to advance the federal government's understanding of these issues. The Minister of Justice is responsible for aspects of social policy that are fundamental to a well-functioning modern society. These policy responsibilities include criminal justice, human rights, justice and families, children and youth, and accessibility, fairness and equality issues in the justice system. The social factors addressed by the Department of Justice are far-reaching, and having well-considered policy in these areas is crucial to implementing sustainable development initiatives successfully. Public input is an important ingredient in policy development. Sustainable development is very much about the ability of people to participate in decisions that affect them, and it is essential that Justice policy activities help to create and sustain key parts of the social infrastructure required for effective participation. Decision-making processes that are fair and transparent and keep pace with change help individuals and communities pursue sustainable development goals. This chapter provides an overview of Justice's key policy achievements under the 1997 Strategy and of its new policy commitments under this Strategy. A more detailed breakdown of achievements and commitments is provided in Appendices A and B. Key Achievements Under the 1997 Sustainable Development Strategy Under the 1997 Strategy, Justice explored linkages between the social policy aspects of Justice's mandate and sustainable development. This work confirmed the importance of these indirect linkages. Justice also became a participant in the federal government's Sustainable Communities Initiatives (see Goal 2.1), which will add to the Department's understanding of how these indirect linkages work in practice. To obtain an additional perspective, Justice began exchanging information with the Law Commission of Canada, which began developing its own research project on sustainable communities. Justice also made a commitment under the 1997 Strategy to participate in interdepartmental research to explore the broader social and cultural aspects of sustainable development. This research began later than anticipated, and consequently should have its greatest impact during this Strategy. The 1997 Strategy recognized the importance of legal infrastructure for sustainable development internationally as well as domestically. In this context, the Department fulfilled its commitment to provide legal technical assistance to developing countries and emerging democracies. In one such project, Justice worked with the government of Ukraine and the Canadian International Development Agency to help launch the School of Legislative Drafting in Kiev, Ukraine, in 1999. Goals for 2001-2003 Under this new Strategy, the Department will continue the work begun under the 1997 Strategy to explore the linkages between Justice's social policy mandate and sustainable development. To further this objective, Justice will be working in four key areas: Promoting sustainable development principles through sustainable communities initiatives in Cape Breton and the Annapolis Valley Pursuing the Aboriginal Justice Strategy in accordance with the principles of developing sustainable communities Pursuing crime prevention activity that furthers sustainable development principles Contributing to interdepartmental research on the links between social cohesion and sustainable development Public Participation in Sustainable Communities The Department of Justice is a leader in promoting public participation in the sustainable communities context. The Department has played an active role in the International Association for Public Participation, an organization dedicated to promoting public participation around the world. In May 2000, Justice led a plenary session on public participation in the building of safe communities at the Association's annual conference. More than 275 people from 12 countries participated and chose this as the best session at the three-day conference. Goal 2.1: Sustainable Communities Sustainable community initiatives are practical demonstrations of the principles of sustainable development. They show how to integrate social, economic and environmental interests in policies, programs and plans that achieve their goals without creating problems for another group, community or generation. Sustainable community initiatives range in scope from local neighbourhoods to major ecosystems, and are defined by the ability of individuals, corporations, voluntary agencies and governments to share in a sense of place and purpose. Two pilot sustainable community projects are now underway in Nova Scotia. The Department of Justice is a participant with two partner communities, the Bras d'Or Lakes area of Cape Breton and the Annapolis Valley, and with more than 20 other federal and provincial departments and agencies. In addition to its main role as project participant, Justice will be the federal government's point of contact for an ongoing exchange of information with the Law Commission of Canada concerning the Commission's own sustainable communities research project. Under its client-services mandate, Justice will also provide legal support to other participating federal departments as needed. Through the sustainable communities initiatives, the Department's support for social cohesion, specifically its crime prevention, restorative justice and Aboriginal justice activities, will make an important contribution to sustainable development at the community level. Justice will participate in piloting new forms of governance that align the communities' social, economic, and environmental interests and combine the strengths and resources of their public, private and voluntary sectors. The Department will also work to advance collaborative decision making through alternative dispute resolution techniques and public participation. Goal 2.2: The Aboriginal Justice Strategy The Aboriginal Justice Strategy is a joint initiative of the Department of Justice, the Solicitor General and the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. It aims to support Aboriginal communities in taking greater responsibility for the administration of justice; help reduce crime and incarceration rates in the communities that administer justice programs; and improve Canada's justice system to make it more responsive to the needs of Aboriginal people. Current issues include community perceptions of lack of fairness and transparency in the justice system and overrepresentation of Aboriginal people among those who are arrested and confined. These issues are barriers to the effective implementation of sustainable development, because they mean that the justice system needs to do a better job of achieving its social goals for one of the cultural groups within the community. During this Sustainable Development Strategy, the Department will work with its federal partners, provinces and territories, and Aboriginal associations to develop and deliver community-based Aboriginal alternative justice programs; develop a national network of experts to promote change in the mainstream justice system, through the Aboriginal Justice Learning Network; fund community capacity building in the administration of justice; and continue to develop a policy framework for self-government negotiations concerning the administration of justice. Goal 2.3: Crime Prevention To have a sustainable community, citizens need to feel secure. Crime harms the opportunity for successful sustainable development initiatives when it is either a source of discord between groups in the community or a response to the lack of harmony. Consequently, crime prevention is an important element in strengthening the social infrastructure that supports sustainable development. From a sustainable development point of view, resources that are used to deal with crime after it has happened are largely “wasted,” because they are not available to help produce a better environmental, economic and social situation. Restorative Justice Restorative justice approaches crime as an injury or wrong done to another person rather than solely a matter of punishing those guilty of breaking the law. Reparation, either materially or symbolically, is part of the response to a crime — the wrongdoer must make things right. The victim and the offender play active roles in resolving conflict through discussion and negotiation that is facilitated by the government and legal professionals. The National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention encourages the development and implementation of community-based crime prevention strategies. In Gambo, Newfoundland, for example, community organizations support local high school students serving as mentors for younger students. At the other end of the country, the City of Vancouver and the Coalition for Crime Prevention and Drug Treatment are working with community groups to address risk factors associated with crime and victimization. More than a thousand projects have been supported so far, many designed to improve the quality of children's early lives. It is estimated that a dollar spent at this stage in life can save up to seven dollars in later social costs. Goal 2.4: Research on Social Cohesion Justice will continue examining the linkages between its social policy mandate and sustainable development, by contributing to the research on the linkages between social cohesion and sustainable development that is to be undertaken by the federal government's interdepartmental Policy Research Initiative.

 

		Last Updated: 2005-10-20		Important Notices