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Summary:
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On June 11, 2025, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) released its National First Nations Justice Strategy. Development of the strategy began in 2021 following the release of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Final Report. After the Final Report, the Department of Justice was mandated to develop an Indigenous Justice Strategy to address overrepresentation of Indigenous people in Canada’s justice system.
In 2021, First Nations-in-Assembly mandated the AFN to co-develop the Indigenous Justice Strategy and carry out national engagement for First Nations-specific recommendations. The AFN held National Justice Forums and a Virtual Justice Speaker Series, along with other forms of engagement.
The AFN submitted its findings as an interim report to the Department of Justice in 2024. Those findings were developed into a First Nations-specific chapter in the Indigenous Justice Strategy released on March 10, 2025. Per its mandate by Resolution, the AFN then further developed its findings into the National First Nations Justice Strategy which can be read as a standalone document.
The National First Nations Justice Strategy builds on the model established by the British Columbia First Nations Justice Council and its 2020 BC First Nations Justice Strategy. It provides 25 strategies under two thematic pathways: 1) revitalize First Nations laws and legal systems, and 2) reform Canada’s criminal justice system.
The full National First Nations Justice Strategy is available to read in full on the AFN website. For media inquiries, contact Genna Benson, AFN Director of Communications, at [email protected].