Message from the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

We have the privilege of living in a country that values and advances human rights at home and abroad. Among these rights, equality is one of the most fundamental Canadian values. It is enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and guaranteed for all.

At the same time, we have to acknowledge that equality was not a founding value for our country, but rather developed over time, culminating in the enactment of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982. Our country, much like other former colonies, was founded just after the end of legalized slavery, which existed until only 35 years before Confederation. Even after the end of slavery in Canada, segregation of Black people existed in areas of Canada until 1983, a year after the enactment of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, resulting in a legacy of economic marginalization and socioeconomic disadvantage.

As a direct result of our history, in 2025, anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination remain embedded in our institutions. Their legacy continues to be a daily, lived reality for Black people in Canada, preventing our country from attaining the goal of equality for all. Anti-Black racism is harming families and communities and is costing Canada the valuable contributions of Black people across our nation. That is why we must work together to eradicate anti-Black racism; to ensure the wellbeing and prosperity of Black people in Canada, and that the hearts and minds of all people in Canada remain open, and hopes and dreams remain limitless.

I echo the words of the Prime Minister in a speech given for a Black History Month reception in February 2018: “It is time that we recognize that anti-Black racism and unconscious bias do exist…it is time we take action to ensure equal opportunity and equal treatment of Black Canadians…” Since formally recognizing the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent in 2018, the Government of Canada has begun the hard work to eradicate anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination from our institutions and from our society. We have created Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy to remove barriers faced by Black and other racialized communities, Indigenous peoples and religious minorities, and to promote a country where every person is able to fully participate and have an equal opportunity to succeed. In the Prime Minister’s mandate letter to the Minister of Justice in 2021, he took these ideas further by calling on the Minister to create Canada’s Black Justice Strategy.Footnote 1

Black people continue to experience negative outcomes in the criminal justice system at a higher rate than all other people in Canada, except Indigenous people, and have been calling for changes for decades. I have had the privilege of talking to Black people across the country about reforming our criminal justice system to make it more equal and effective. One thing has been clear from those conversations: it is the advocacy of Black communities that has led us to this historic moment.

I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the external Steering Group for Canada’s Black Justice Strategy for their diligence, leadership, and dedication to the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy. In delivering their report, A Roadmap for Transformative Change: Canada's Black Justice Strategy, the Steering Group has provided recommendations for transformative change in the criminal justice system. I would also like to thank all of those who participated in the Fall 2023 Black community organization-based engagements and consultations held across Canada. Your contributions have been integral to the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy, and the actions we implement must always reflect your voices.

Eradicating anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination in the criminal justice system is no small task. It will take time and consistent effort. There must also be an ongoing commitment to address the myriad socioeconomic factors that increase the risk of involvement with the criminal justice system. Changes must be based on evidence, including data that has been disaggregated by race and identity, that we will now move forward to collect. With this Implementation Plan, the Government of Canada is making a 10-year commitment toward the necessary, on-the-ground transformative change to reduce the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system, including as victims of crime. This will begin with a series of new investments that are outlined under each of the Pillars of the Steering Group report.

This strategy builds upon decades of work underway in Black communities across Canada to ensure that all people in Canada are afforded equal opportunity, equal treatment, and equal protection before and under the law. Together we can make a better tomorrow, fulfill the promise of the Charter and strengthen the fight against anti-Black racism in Canada.

The Honourable Arif Virani
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
February 2025