The Mingan district, which administers the Sept-Îles courthouse, is one of five new judicial districts in Quebec where pilot projects for a court that specializes in sexual and domestic violence issues will be deployed.
This new type of special court is intended to better meet the needs of victims of domestic and/or sexual violence.
For example, the spaces at the Sept-les courthouse could be improved to make it safer and more secure for victims. They no longer have to meet with the accused. Victims will also have access to devices to help them testify, such as screens and videoconferencing rooms.
The creation of this type of court is one of the recommendations of the report filed in December 2020 by the Committee of support experts for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
It is important that victims feel supported, confident and safe in their journey through the justice system, recalled the Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette. We no longer want victims in Quebec to hesitate to denounce and file a complaint.
A pilot project adapted to the realities of the region
Through pilot projects, the government wants to assess the impact of new specialized courts in different contexts.
Like others before it, the Mingan district was selected based on criteria such as the reality of the territory, existence of Aboriginal communities and existence of community organizations working in the territory in the area of sexual and conjugal violence.
According to the office of the Minister of Justice, a further announcement will be made to specify when the pilot project will begin at the Sept-les courthouse. The ministry wants to give local organizations time to work together before it can be set up.
The pilot projects are spread over a maximum period of three years from the sanction of the law, i.e. until 2024. The other districts selected for this second phase are the districts of Laval, Saint-Francois, from Megantic at Montmagny.
For the Minister of Education and Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Isabelle Charest, the addition of five new districts is a new step toward the permanent establishment of a court that specializes in sexual and domestic violence cases, throughout Quebec.
In total, therefore, ten districts participated in the pilot projects. Those in Quebec, Beauharnois, Bedford, Drummond and Saint-Maurice were selected by the government in January and several pilot projects have already been launched.
Source: Radio-Canada
