Canada’s Black Justice Strategy

Read Toward Transformative Change: an Implementation Plan for Canada’s Black Justice Strategy, the Implementation Plan for Canada’s Black Justice Strategy.

Black communities continue to live with the effects of prejudice, discrimination, and hatred—from unconscious bias to anti-Black hate crimes and violence. The 2017 Report of the United Nations Working Group for People of African Descent on its mission to Canada highlighted the historical entrenchment of anti-Black racism in Canadian institutions and policies, so that it is “functionally normalized or rendered invisible, especially to the dominant group”. The UN Working Group added their concern that many Black people also face discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, language, sex and gender identity.

Despite decades of work by Black communities to reduce the injustices affecting Black people, change has been too slow, and inequalities continue to exist in Canada. The UN Working Group Report also emphasized these inequalities and included a specific recommendation to develop and implement a justice strategy to address the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system.

Establishing Canada’s Black Justice Strategy (the Strategy) is the federal government’s response to address anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination that has led to the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system, including as victims of crime. The Strategy aims to help ensure that Black people have access to equal treatment before and under the law in Canada.

The Strategy was developed in consultation with Black communities across Canada, including an external Steering Group of experts and leaders. This ensured that the Strategy reflects the diversity of experiences and regional realities of Black people in Canada, and how race interacts with a person’s ethnic or cultural origin, religion, gender, age, language, disability, income, sexual orientation, and multiracial heritage.

At the international level, establishing the Strategy responds to the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024). The Second International Decade for People of African Descent (2025-2034), co-sponsored by Canada, was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 17, 2024.


Publications

Read the Implementation Plan for Canada’s Black Justice Strategy and other publications that informed the development of the Strategy

External Steering Group

Meet the external Steering Group providing strategic advice to the Government of Canada on the development and implementation of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy

Consultations and Engagements

Learn about the consultations and engagements that occurred between September and October 2023 as part of the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy

Next steps

Overview of next steps for Canada’s Black Justice Strategy

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to frequently asked questions about Canada’s Black Justice Strategy

Additional information and resources

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