The model of specialized court for sexual and domestic violence is of interest to London
Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette launched the pilot project for a specialized court for sexual violence and domestic violence in 2022. (File photo)
Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, is invited to London to present the Quebec model of a court specializing in sexual and domestic violence.
The idea of this court is to help rebuild the victims' confidence in the justice system. The authorities also want to offer integrated and adapted psychosocial and judicial services.
The specialized court for sexual violence and domestic violence does not modify the applicable law or the rules of evidence or procedures. However, it modifies the accompaniment of victims and the collaborations, with the aim of improving the experience of the victim during his passage before the court.
The Quebec court model is obviously of interest to England, since Minister Jolin-Barrette has been invited to participate in the Victims Summit next Friday. He will then address the actors of the British legal and political community, at the invitation of the Commissioner for Victims of London, Claire Waxman.
Quebec thus became the first state in the world to deploy such a tribunal. And today, it contributes to the influence of the Quebec nation internationally. We are delighted that our progress is generating interest and that it can inspire other countries, commented the Minister of Justice and Attorney General.
A pilot project has already made it possible to launch such courts in a dozen judicial districts: Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Granby, Drummondville, LaTuque, Quebec, Laval, Sherbrooke, Montmagny, Lac-Mégantic and Sept-Îles.
At the Federation of Shelters for Women, the Executive Director, Manon Monastesse, confirms the originality of the Quebec model in this area and the hopes it raises in the community.
< p class="e-p">She notes that a lot of work has been done over the past year with the establishment of these tribunals. It is implemented at the structural level and we are now at the stage of training socio-judicial workers, she explains.
A certain distance However, it is lacking to assess its effectiveness, recognizes Manon Monastesse. We do not yet have a situation in our network where women have been heard in the context of these specialized courts, says Ms. Monastesse.
She wants this court to succeed in give a more humane system and a system, too, where we hope that the victim will be much more at the center of the whole process.
Minister Jolin-Barrette will benefit also of his trip, from March 7 to 12, to visit Westminster and discuss recent parliamentary reforms implemented in Commonwealth countries, says his cabinet.
