Today marks one year of operation for the Hazelton Indigenous Court, the eighth such court to be established in BC.
Indigenous courts take a restorative and holistic approach to justice, uniquely designed to meet the needs of each community.
Participants work with teams of Elders, judges and lawyers to create a healing plan which addresses the factors that contributed to the offense.
Community service, counselling, and regular reviews are all part of the plans, which seek to reduce the risk of re-offending, and account for deep-rooted trauma.
In its first year of service, the Hazelton Indigenous Court hosted 11 sittings, and created 10 healing plans, two of which will be completed next month.
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