The new Indigenous court in Prince George is here following Friday’s opening ceremony.
The court will focus on rehabilitation and giving fairer representation for Indigenous persons, with Lheidli T’enneh elders being involved in the final decisions.
“To have elders involved in the process, to have recognition of some of the legacy of colonization, and how that impacts people in the justice system, is really important,” explains Attorney General David Eby, who was on hand at the opening ceremony.
“It’s a big shift and it’s a welcomed shift and there is still a lot of work to do.”
On top of Eby, special guests at the ceremony included Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall and BC Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee.
The magnitude of this court shows in not only the amount of noteworthy people attending the opening, but more about what this means for northern BC residents.
“Making sure that the justice system works well for everybody, whether it’s victims of crime or people who are facing criminal charges, is critically important to our government,” Eby says.
“We’re putting big investments into the court system to ensure that delays are dealt with and that people get access to justice.”
The court is expected to begin sitting in April 2018.
.@HostFirstNation presents blanket to Attorney General @Dave_Eby, who’s also witnessing the opening ceremony of the PG Indigenous Court with Justice Thomas Crabtree | #CityOfPG pic.twitter.com/E93I6y09y4
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) March 23, 2018
– With files from Kyle Balzer
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