NWT justice system lags behind most of Canada
Think tank gives territory failing grades on support for victims and costs and resources but an 'A' for efficiency
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The NWT Justice Department is ranked 11 of out 13 of criminal justice systems in all Canadian territories and provinces.
This is indicated in a report done by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, which bills itself as Canada's only truly national public policy think tank based in Ottawa. The report used Statistics Canada data to grade the jurisdictions on five performance measures: public safety, support for victims, costs and resources, fairness and access to justice and efficiency. The NWT received a "C" grade overall, ahead of only Manitoba and Yukon.
The territory's best grade was an "A" for efficiency. The worst grades were "F" for support for victims and costs and resources.
The report pointed out the justice department is at the head of the class in some areas. It has the second highest rate of clearance of court cases behind Nunavut for both violent crime at 80.5 per cent and non-violent crime at 58.7 per cent. It has relatively few administration of justice violations, the report stated. In terms of efficiency, the NWT has one of the shortest average criminal case lengths at 99 days and fewer accused prisoners on remand per 1,000 crimes than most of the rest of Canada. The report also pointed out the Mounties here have their hands full - the NWT has the highest number of criminal code incidents per police officer than any other jurisdiction in Canada.
The report also noted that the NWT's per-capita violent crime rate is second to only Nunavut. Its per-capita property crime rates eclipse every other jurisdiction in Canada, according to the report. It was pointed out under the areas for improvement section that the NWT received a failing grade when it comes to support for victims. It has a low level of referrals to victim services and restitution orders were made in only 2.2 per cent of cases on average.
"The criminal justice system in the NWT received a failing grade for its cost and use of resources," the report stated. "No doubt at least in part because of its vast size, sparse population and significant crime rates."
The cost of public safety per person in the territory and cost of corrections per capita is second only to Nunavut. The daily average inmate cost if also well above the national average. The NWT has the greatest number of police officers per capita of any jurisdiction in Canada. In terms of fairness and access to justice, the NWT had the lowest legal aid expenditure on criminal matters per crime in Canada. With respect to criminal justice efficiency, a higher than average percentage of criminal charges were stayed or withdrawn in the NWT at 30.8 per cent, the report stated.
Justice Minister Louis Sebert stated in an e-mail the report is useful in that it promotes discussion and awareness of important criminal justice issues. But he stated the report card should not be given more currency than it merits and has to be taken with a grain of salt.
"To my knowledge the report's authors did not speak to anyone delivering programs in the NWT," Sebert stated.
"The varying circumstances and tailored approaches taken across jurisdictions to complex criminal justice matters do not always lend themselves neatly to a comparative statistical analysis."
Sebert pointed out the NWT was given a failing grade for costs and resources.
"Despite acknowledging the challenges presented by the vast size sparse population and high crime rates in the NWT - consideration needs to be given to the importance in our territory to ensure courts are able to be held in the community where offences occurred," Sebert stated.
"Justice officials will take time to review the report and carefully consider both the strengths of the NWT highlighted as well as areas for improvement."
The report was critical of all justice departments in Canada and stated that Canada is suffering from a justice deficit - a large and growing gap between the aspirations of the justice system and its actual performance.
"With a few exceptions our justice system is low,
inefficient and costly,"
the report's authors stated.
"Until now the extent of inefficiency and under-performance in the Canadian criminal justice system has never been fully assessed."
