Overview of Recent Activities and Achievements - August 2003
Table of Contents

CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES

Child-centred Family Justice Strategy

In December 2002, the Minister of Justice announced the Child-centred Family Justice Strategy and introduced Bill C-22, legislation aimed at helping parents focus on the needs of their children following separation and divorce. The strategy, which is composed of three pillars - family justice services, legislative reform and expansion of Unified Family Courts - will help to minimize the potentially negative impact of separation and divorce on children; provide parents with the tools they need to reach parenting arrangements that are in the child's best interests; and help make the legal process less adversarial. The Strategy was developed in consultation with provincial and territorial governments, who share jurisdiction in areas of family law.

The Department of Justice has also been working with the provinces and territories to help them improve the inter-provincial enforcement of family-support orders across Canada. The Department co-chaired the committee that helped introduce and implement the model uniform Inter-jurisdictional Support Orders Act.

Cybertip.ca

In September 2002, Department of Justice officials helped launch Cybertip.ca - a hotline and Web site created and operated by Child Find Manitoba to help prevent the online sexual exploitation of children. The Department's Policy Centre for Victim Issues joined Canadian Heritage and Industry Canada as contributors in providing over $500,000 in federal funding to support the pilot phase of Cybertip.ca. This federal funding was complemented by financial support put forth by Justice Manitoba and several private-sector partners.

Cybertip.ca allows the public to report potentially illegal content and activities on the Internet, such as child pornography and luring, through an online reporting form and a toll-free phone line (1-866-658-9022). Cybertip.ca receives and analyzes the tips and refers leads to the appropriate law enforcement agencies as required. Cybertip.ca also provides educational information and support and referral services to Canadians to help prevent their online victimization.

As of July 31, 2003, Cybertip.ca had received 350 tips, of which almost 90 percent were received online. More than 160 reports were forwarded to law enforcement agencies by Cybertip.ca analysts, leading to four arrests and more than 80 Web sites being shut down (close to 40 of which were hosted in Canada).

Departmental officials are collaborating with Child Find Manitoba, Justice Manitoba, the Solicitor General of Canada Portfolio and other partners to develop a strategy for Cybertip.ca to be expanded across the country.

Family Violence

As a partner in the federal Family Violence Initiative, the Department of Justice continues to support measures and reforms to strengthen the criminal justice system's response to family violence. This includes developing and implementing legislation and related policies to help prevent family violence, protect family violence victims and witnesses, and effectively prosecute family violence cases.

The Department recently co-chaired a working group that reviewed the implementation and status of spousal abuse charging and prosecutorial policies throughout Canada. The working group's report, Spousal Abuse Policies and Legislation, which was published in March 2003, provides an overview of the nature and incidence of spousal abuse in Canada today. It also traces and assesses the adoption of the spousal abuse policies in Canada and other innovative measures, including dedicated domestic violence strategies throughout the country.