Systemic racism and discrimination should be taken into account when African Canadians are sentenced, a Toronto judge said Monday, in order to address the issue of their over-representation in the criminal justice system. But Superior Court Justice Shaun Nakatsuru declined to apply the approach used in sentencing Indigenous people to the sentencing of African Canadians such as Jamaal Jackson, who is Black. “I find little value in comparing the situation of Indigenous persons to African Canadians. As well, the sentencing of Indigenous people is unique and their special recognition is enshrined in the Criminal Code, he noted. In Canada, judges can request “Gladue” reports for Indigenous offenders, which encourage sentencing to be sensitive to the disadvantages and systemic racism they face and to consider alternatives to jail.

Source: thestar April 23, 2018 21:22 UTC