NUNAVUT

The implementation of an act meant to facilitate intervention in cases of family abuse is "failing," states a report recently tabled at the legislature.

"I wasn't surprised by what the report said," Justice Minister Keith Peterson. - NNSL file photo

Genesis Group evaluated the implementation of the Family Abuse Intervention Act (FAIA) in a report tabled at the legislative assembly in March.

The report found the act's implementation has "not been very successful" across the territory.

"In fact, it is failing," stated the report.

The intention of the act was to make it easier to intervene in cases of family abuse in order to address high rates of domestic violence in the territory.

But the report stated the three-year-old act's failings include low awareness of the act's provisions among the people tasked with implementing it, and problems at the community justice outreach worker level due to unqualified personnel and a structure that makes them employees of the hamlets while having to follow advice from the territorial government.

"Essentially, they are hired by one authority to do the work of a second, remote authority," states the report.

This results in inadequate supervision, reporting, accountability, control or direction of workers by either the hamlets or the territorial government, states the report.

"I wasn't surprised by what the report said," Justice Minister Keith Peterson said. "The report was good. It was detailed. In some ways, I thought it was a little bit early because the program was only rolled out in 2008 and they started doing the assessment and evaluation in 2009. Anyone familiar with process knows there is always going to be issues and hiccups in rolling things out."

He added the report confirmed what he already knew from his discussions with hamlet staff, mayors, lawyers, the police and other people in communities that showed him the act's implementation might have been problematic. Peterson said there should have been more community and stakeholder consultation up front.

"I heard through my consultations with people in the field, in the communities the whole FAIA program might have been a little bit too rushed," he said.

The act's implementation is "seriously compromised" by the absence of an overall manager, a person that should be based in Iqaluit, stated the report.

"I got approval from cabinet to relocate the FAIA manager back from the High Arctic to Iqaluit, so that position be staffed to provide more support for the program," said Peterson.

The report also found the implementation of community intervention orders, which offer traditional Inuit counselling to those in abusive relationships who are not in an emergency situation, is incomplete and there is little public support for traditional Inuit counseling, the report also found. Eighty-three per cent of all communities reported issuing no community intervention orders in 2008-2009.

In that time period, there were 84 emergency protection orders issued and eight community intervention orders.

"Of a total of 80 confirmed orders in 2008-2009, 53 are from South Baffin and 28 of those from Iqaluit and Cape Dorset," states the report. "In other words, out of 25 Nunavut communities, two are responsible for 30 per cent of all the EPOs."

It adds 62 per cent of the communities have generated fewer than three emergency protection orders.

"This significant disparity would suggest ineffective application of the FAIA," the report adds.

GN information also shows no applications for assistance orders or stalking prevention orders but one application for a compensation order, states the report.

Peterson said he generally agrees with the report's recommendations and his department is currently working to rectify the situation, providing more support and more training.

"I think more training should have been provided initially and I think more consultations should have been done up front, such as the agreements with the hamlets, the relationships with organizations that would support CJOs, like the legal services board and police," he said.

The report lauded Iqaluit and Cape Dorset, which successfully implemented emergency protection order applications, for instance, a success attributed to dedicated individuals.

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