OBA Aboriginal Law PROGRAM | Original Program Date: June 17, 2019

Twenty years after the release of the landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision in R. v. Gladue on sentencing, lawyers and advocates alike continue to raise concerns regarding the implementation of the ruling’s principles. Meanwhile, overrepresentation and the treatment of Indigenous persons within Canada’s criminal justice system remain critical issues.

With the anticipated release of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit Persons on June 3, 2019 comes a renewed opportunity to focus on a path forward for many parties, from policing agencies to governments and for the legal profession to answer the ongoing call for reconciliation as set out in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Report.

• The Gladue Principles and the impact of recent caselaw
• Legal implications coming out of the Final Report of the National Inquiry
• Truth and Reconciliation – Calls to the legal profession

Join in this timely discussion with lawyers fully engaged in the issues at hand as we examine the challenges ahead and the changes that may come.

ELDER

Kim Wheatley, Anishinaabe (Ojibway), Grandmother, Shawanaga First Nation, Cultural Consultant

SPEAKERS

Christa Big Canoe, Legal Counsel, National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Meggie Cywink, fomerly Special Advisor, Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, at National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Amanda General, Senior Manager, Gladue Writers, Aboriginal Legal Services
Shaunna Kelly, Criminal Defence Lawyer

PROGRAM CHAIRS

Lara Koerner Yeo, Cavalluzzo LLP
Naomi Sayers, Barrister and Solicitor