Canadian Indigenous Over-Representation in Criminal Justice

Professor Thalia Anthony and Mr Jonathan Rudin

Director of Toronto Aboriginal Legal Service and award-winning author on Indigenous litigation, Mr Jonathan Rudin, with UTS discussant Professor Thalia Anthony discussed Aboriginal initiatives for reducing over-incarceration in Canada and implications for Australia. Jonathan focused on the reforms to the Criminal Code in Canada, cases flowing from those reforms and the introduction of Gladue Reports by the ALS to sentencing courts – which provide a strengths-based, historical and community-based account of the Aboriginal person’s background. Thalia discussed some initiatives of this type by Aboriginal Legal Services in Australia. This talk was part of an Australian Research Council Linkage project with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Five Bridges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Justice Group (Qld) and the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration.