INUVIK
The NWT Human Rights Commission was in Inuvik last week to talk about its new plan.

That plan would see the process through which people access the system when someone has violated their human rights shift from something resembling a court process to a more restorative approach.

"Hopefully, we can get a system that works better than it has been for people," said former MLA Charles Dent, chairperson of the commission.

The session put on by the group in Inuvik drew about 10 participants, the majority of whom Dent said largely agreed with the move towards a restorative approach. While he said they could have worked with more attendees, having such a small number allowed for more discussion and less presentation on the part of the visitors, which was valuable.

"We recognize everyone is struggling for money," said Dent, explaining that the commission has to do all it can to reach out to organizations in communities as well as individuals. "So we're not going to get any more resources."

Essentially, he explained that in the 10 years or so since the NWT's Human Rights Act was implemented, it became obvious that it wasn't working the way it should.

"We were sure lawyers wouldn't be needed," he said. "But that turned out to be the rule for a fair outcome."

So, while the process currently begins with a series of written statements that go back and forth between the complainant and the subject of the complaint, the system can get bogged down when lawyers get involved and have to vet responses. In a restorative system, Dent said there could be an initial conference instead of a flow of paperwork.

"Paper takes time, and the longer times drag on with this sort of hurt, the harder it is to solve," he said. "Sometimes all it takes is for people to see how their actions have been perceived. But with paper, when the lawyers get involved, it's there in black and white, and heels get dug in."

The second step, which involves adjudication, could be changed so that instead of lawyers asking the questions, it would be the adjudicator themselves, making the process less confrontational, as well as more accessible and meaningful to people who can't afford lawyers. A report on the progress of the commission and what steps should be taken moving forward was tabled at the very end of the 17th Legislative Assembly and awaits discussion. Dent said while the plan is certainly doable and much needed, it requires a change to the current legislation.

"We can't do it before the leg moves on this," he told the Drum.

Neither of Inuvik's MLAs, Alfred Moses and Robert C. McLeod, responded to requests for comment.