CRIMINAL RECORD SUSPENSION
Since 2017, we have held free legal clinics in Inuit communities, and pardon applications have been a recurring issue. While we helped individual citizens who came to our clinics with their applications, we also were eager to develop a more systematic solution that could reduce the negative effects of a criminal record. As it stands, it is a significant barrier to employment in the North, in addition to being a means of harmful stigmatization.
OUR PROJECT
Is a past mistake keeping you from moving forward?
Do you have questions about the pardon (or record suspension) process?
Justice Pro Bono, in partnership with Makivik, has drafted a step-by-step guide, and set up phone support and help with payment of the application fees are available for Inuit beneficiaries wishing to undertake the pardon process. These tools and this project are now entirely run by the Makivik Justice Department.
We strongly encourage you to start your journey by calling Makivik at 1-833-331-5818 to get help from one of their agents !
Justice Pro Bono thanks the Department of Justice of Canada and the Ministère de la Justice du Québec for their generous financial support, the Makivik Corporation Justice Department for their logistical support in setting up this project, and Wapikoni Mobile for their talent and expertise in producing the videos.
VOLUNTEER LEGAL CLINICS IN NUNAVIK
Access to justice in Northern Quebec is a daily challenge for Indigenous communities. Concerned by this reality and in order to contribute concretely to it, Justice Pro Bono has set up a mobile pro bono legal clinic in Nunavik. We have visited four communities since 2017: Kuujjuaq, Puvirnituq, Salluit and Kuujjuarapik.
Close to 20 volunteer jurists (lawyers and notaries) have provided information and legal advice to hundreds of citizens of these northern communities through the various clinics. The jurists also took advantage of their time in the region to give introductory workshops on our justice system developed by Éducaloi to high school students.
Justice Pro Bono would like to thank the Barreau du Québec, the Chambre des notaires, the Department of Justice, the Makivik Corporation and the Kativik Regional Government for their generous financial and logistical support.
Clinics held to date :
March 2017 Kuujjuaq
January 2018 Kuujjuaq
October 2018 Puvirnituq and Kuujjuarapik
May 2019 Puvirnituq and Salluit
November 2019 Kuujjuarapik
July 2023 Kangiqsualujjuaq
November 2023 Kangiqsualujjuaq
March 2023 Kuujjuarapik
SOME INFORMATION ABOUT NUNAVIK
- Different from Nunavut (a federal territory north of the 60th parallel), Nunavik refers to the northern territory of Quebec, north of the 55th parallel.
- Represents one third (1/3) of the territory of the Province of Quebec (500,000 km2)
- Capital: Kuujjuaq
- Languages spoken and taught at school: Inuktitut and French or English
- 14 Inuit communities, including one where Inuit and Cree live side by side (Kuujjuarapik-Whapmagoostui)
- Approximately 13,000 people, known as Nunavimmiut, live in the region.
- The Inuit represent one of the 11 Indigenous nations in Quebec.
