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This paper explores the issues that arise in child protection proceedings involving family violence, where there are concurrent family and/or criminal proceedings. A particular focus is on issues in concurrent proceedings in cases involving intimate partner violence, though there is some discussion of child abuse cases, especially those involving emotional and other child abuse issues arising in the context of high-conflict separations. We discuss and compare the social and legal contexts of these different proceedings, offer analysis of both legal and professional practice concerns that concurrent proceedings create, and conclude by offering suggestions about promising practices to improve processes and outcomes for children in these challenging cases. These cases are inevitably complex and difficult for parents, children, professionals and the justice system.

The Department of Justice Canada Research and Statistics Division, in collaboration with the Coordinating Committee of Senior Officials - Family Justice Research Sub-committee, reviewed research and evaluation studies on the use of technology in the family justice system. The purpose of the review was to explore how technology has been used to increase access to or enhance the experience of individuals in the Canadian family justice system. In 2019, there was initial interest in undertaking this study to explore how technology could help modernize the family justice system. When the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 global pandemic in March 2020, technology was quickly seen as a solution to keep courts open and maintain access to justice.

This report offers an examination of data on violence within families, highlighting how it may be a relevant factor to consider in a family law dispute. In a family law context, violence, abuse and neglect within families can have wide-ranging, long-term effects. Family and criminal courts may offer contrary rulings that confuse and frustrate matters and may put family members at risk. And ultimately, there are costs – both financial and human.

The Sexual Violence Prevention Community Mobilization Program is a community-based program designed to mobilize and build stronger community responses to support victims/survivors of sexual violence and to encourage citizens of all ages to take a role in preventing and responding to sexual violence, in a trauma-informed, youth-centered and culturally relevant way.

Gender-based violence can have serious impacts on both physical and mental health. As part of It's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence, the Public Health Agency of Canada provides funding for projects that prevent gender-based violence, and its impacts, from a health perspective.

The Sexual Violence Prevention Youth Outreach Program is a community-based program that works to improve the immediate and long-term social, economic, educational and health outcomes for youth between the ages of 12 and 19 who are at risk of being subjected to or perpetrating sexual violence by assisting them to access services and supports and by providing mentorship.

Restorative Justice (RJ) is an approach to justice that focuses on addressing the harm caused by crime while holding the offender responsible for his or her actions, by providing an opportunity for those directly affected by crime – victims, offenders and communities – to identify and address their needs in the aftermath of a crime. RJ is intended to support healing, reintegration, the prevention of future harm, and reparation, if possible.

RJ processes provide opportunities for victims, offenders, and communities affected by a crime to communicate about the causes, circumstances, and impact of that crime, and to address their related needs. These processes are guided by skilled RJ facilitators and can take different forms depending on the community, program, case, participants, or circumstances.

Canadians indicated they are not very familiar with restorative justice (RJ), but after receiving an explanation, the majority of Canadians support the use of RJ and see the process as an effective way to repair harms caused by crime.

Canadians indicated that they are not very familiar with restorative justice (RJ), but after receiving an explanation, the majority of Canadians support the use of RJ and see the process as an effective way to repair the harms caused by crime. What we also found:
Most Canadians (87%) indicated that victims should be able to meet with the offender and tell them about the impacts of the crime if they wish to do so. Over half (64%) of Canadians indicated that RJ should be available to all victims and offenders, regardless of the offence type, as long as both the victim and offender want to take part in the process and the offender admits his or her guilt. Given the lack of knowledge about RJ, it is not surprising that some Canadians (39%) still have questions or concerns about the RJ process.

Restorative Justice (RJ) is based on an understanding that crime causes harm to people and relationships, and it affects communities. RJ is an approach to justice that seeks to repair harm by providing an opportunity for those harmed and those who take responsibility for the harm to communicate about causes, circumstances, and impacts of crime, and to address their needs. RJ seeks to foster healing, reparation and reintegration, while also seeking to prevent future harm.