National Action Plan on Open Government Commitment

C04.3.6 - Justice

Commitment:
Justice
Milestone:
Advance legal literacy and empowerment
Indicator:
C04.3.6 - Communications activities to support legal literacy
Lead Organization:
Department of Justice Canada
Deadline:
Ongoing
Summit for Democracy:
No

Updates

2024-03
Status:
Complete
Evidence of progress:

The Department continues to advance communications activities in support of legal literacy. The most recent examples include the following:
• On March 12, 2024 Justice Canada published a $2.1M funding announcement (a news release, along with social media promotion and two speeches) on three Indigenous-let funding project that mentions both the UN Declaration and the federal Indigenous Justice Strategy.
• Updates to two victims fact sheets (Victim impact statements and Victim’s right to information), to help understand their rights. Two of three fact sheets have been posted, and the third is forthcoming.
• Updates to webpages on Justice Canada’s website on the topic of MAID, related to C-62, to help the public understand new legislation to delay MAID expansion by three years.
• Media Tech Briefing to the Parliamentary Press Gallery on the Justice elements for Bill C-63 on March 6, 2024, to help member of the press understand the Criminal Code and Canadian Human Rights Act provisions included in the legislation.

Evidence:
2023-12
Status:
Substantial progress
Evidence of progress:

Social media promotion of the availability of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Criminal Code in Braille (for World Braille Day)

Evidence:
2023-09
Status:
Substantial progress
Evidence of progress:

• Communications activities to increase public awareness regarding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, and steps being taken to implement the Act are ongoing. The Action Plan was released on June 21, 2023 and the second annual report was released in July 2023.
• On August 9, 2023, Heritage posted six Indigenous translations (Inuktitut, Michif Cree, Mi’kmaq, Ojibwe, Oji Cree, and Swampy Cree) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. As Charter lead, we promoted the translations on social media and included direct links on our Charter page.
• The Victims’ rights fact sheets were translated into various languages to ensure victims of crime have access to information about their rights in the language of their choice. This aligns with the Government of Canada response to the House of Commons report Improving Support for Victims of Crime, which states that the Government of Canada agrees that increasing awareness among victims about their rights and the services available is important. The Government response even pointed to the translations of the fact sheets.
o Fact sheets are available in eight various languages: Arabic, Chinese (simplified), German, Italian, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, and Ukrainian. o Fact sheets were available in 12 Indigenous languages and 2 were added. Overall languages include: Atikamekw, Blackfoot, Dene, Denesuline, Inuktitut, Micmac, Montagnais, North Slavey, Oji Cree, Ojibway, Plains Creem Stoney, Western Swampy Cree, and Woods Cree

Evidence:
2023-06
Status:
Substantial progress
Evidence of progress:

Communications activities to increase public awareness regarding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, and steps being taken to implement the Act are ongoing. The Action Plan was released on June 21, 2023 and the second annual report will be released in July 2023.

Evidence:
2023-03
Status:
Substantial progress
Evidence of progress:

Communications activities to increase public awareness regarding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the engagement process and steps being taken to implement the Act are ongoing.

Evidence:
2022-12
Status:
Substantial progress
Evidence of progress:

Communications activities to increase public awareness regarding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the engagement process and steps being taken to implement the Act are ongoing.

Work is ongoing, involving different partners and complex requirements, to update the digital Braille version of the Criminal Code and the release of accessible versions of legislation and/or related content. Work is also underway to translate the Department’s Accessibility Plan in other accessible formats, including Braille and audio formats.

Evidence:
2022-09
Status:
Substantial progress
Evidence of progress:

Communications activities to increase public awareness regarding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the engagement process and steps being taken to implement the Act are ongoing. Work is ongoing, involving different partners and complex requirements, to update the digital Braille version of the Criminal Code and the release of accessible versions of legislation and/or related content.

2022-06
Status:
Substantial progress
Evidence of progress:

Promotion of Charter anniversary and online resources each April. Communications activities to increase public awareness regarding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the engagement process and steps being taken to implement the Act are ongoing.

Evidence:
2022-03
Status:
Substantial progress
Evidence of progress:

Accessible versions of Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) communications products have been published. Public awareness on former Bill C-15, the proposed United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, has been completed. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act became law on June 21, 2021.

Evidence: