BC First Nations Justice Council — Indigenous Justice Centres
Indigenous Justice Centres offer culturally appropriate information, advice, support, and representation for Indigenous people.
Effective April 1, 2021, the Gladue reports program in BC is administered and managed by the BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC). The program’s transition from Legal Aid BC (LABC) to BCFNJC is part of the First Nations Justice Strategy agreed to by the BCFNJC and the provincial government.
Gladue reports are one way to effectively activate the remedial aspects of Gladue principles, by providing the court with comprehensive information about the individual before the court, their community, and a plan that looks at realistic and viable options (other than jail) for the judge to consider. These options are specific to the individual, meant to address challenges that contributed to them being before the court, and may include traditional Indigenous ways of addressing the challenges. Gladue reports are separate and distinct from the Gladue component in a probation officer’s pre-sentence report.
LABC launched the Gladue report program as a pilot project in 2011 following consultation with Indigenous communities around the province that highlighted the urgent need to advance Gladue. Initially funded by the Law Foundation, the program has been funded by the provincial government since 2018.
All LABC clients who identify as Indigenous can request a Gladue report through their lawyer, who can contact the BC First Nations Justice Council directly.
To request a Gladue report, see the Request a Gladue Report page on the BC First Nations Justice Council website.
If a lawyer submitted a Request for Authorization of Disbursements to LABC’s Case Management Section for a Gladue report before April 1, 2021, LABC will continue to process that request. If approved, LABC will manage the preparation and completion of that report, and the guidelines for Gladue reports in the Disbursements Chapter of the LABC Tariffs will apply.