Leaders from across B.C.’s justice and public safety sector gathered for a two-day summit to identify next steps to enhance justice system response to families and to victims of violence.

B.C.’s fifth justice summit focused on specific ways the justice system might better respond to victims of violence following a traumatic event, along with steps to improve information sharing and co-ordination across multiple court proceedings, including family, domestic violence and child protection proceedings.

The summit brought together 60 leaders to consider and encourage innovation and collaboration across the justice and public safety sector and to identify actions to improve its current and future functioning.

A report detailing the discussions and recommendations will be delivered within a few weeks to Attorney General Suzanne Anton, and the chief justices and chief judge of the province's three courts, and will be posted online at: www.justicebc.ca/en/rm/summits.html. The chief justices and chief judge of the three courts have communicated to the attorney general their continued support for the summit process.

Quick Facts:

• The summit took place in Vancouver, Nov. 6-7, 2015, at UBC’s Faculty of Law.
• Participants came from across the justice and public safety sector, including the judiciary, Ministry of Justice, defence bar, police services, victim services, community organizations, academics, Aboriginal organizations, justice services providers and the federal government.
• The summit’s recommendations will inform the Justice and Public Safety Council’s next three-year Justice and Public Safety Strategic Plan.
• The Justice Reform and Transparency Act requires that a justice summit be held at least once a year.
• The 2013 summits focused on the criminal justice system, while the 2014 summits addressed the family justice sector and responses to violence against women.

Learn More:

Read the proceedings of previous summits: http://www.justicebc.ca/en/rm/summits.html

More about the Justice and Public Safety Council: http://www.justicebc.ca/en/rm/council.html