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Domestic Violence Courts in Canada
This edition of the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence (NCFV) E-bulletin focuses on domestic violence courts in Canada. The introduction of specialized courts or court processes has been a significant area of change in the criminal justice system in Canada. The first specialized family violence court opened in Winnipeg in 1990 and, most recently in May 2008, a Family Violence Court initiative began in St. John’s, Newfoundland. They also exist in Ontario, Yukon, Alberta and Saskatchewan. The March issue of the E-bulletin highlights some of the growing body of knowledge on specialized domestic violence courts, including research on their impact in addressing victim needs and holding perpetrators accountable.
The NCFV E-bulletin is a quarterly newsletter for those interested in family violence prevention. It is produced by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), on behalf of the Family Violence Initiative (FVI) of the Government of Canada.
We want to hear from you – please send your comments and feedback to our editor at: ncfv-cnivf@phac-aspc.gc.ca.
Evaluation of the Yukon Domestic Violence Treatment Option
The Yukon’s Domestic Violence Treatment Option court (DVTO) was created in 2000 as an innovative response to the high rates of domestic violence, the victimization First Nations reported experiencing from the criminal justice system, and a perception that many victims were not reporting domestic assaults to the police. The DVTO is a specialized court and treatment program for dealing with cases of spousal or partner violence.
The Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family received funding from the National Crime Prevention Centre to conduct a comprehensive process and outcome evaluation of the Yukon DVTO Court. The following are some of the key results of the four-year evaluation:
- The DVTO resulted in the fast tracking of cases into the courts with first appearances occurring within two weeks after charges were laid.
- Collapse rates (number of victims who abandon or withdraw from the criminal justice system) decreased from 28% to 20%.
- There was a 15% increase in cases where accused persons accepted responsibility for their actions.
- There was a 43% increase in early guilty pleas.
- The dropout rate (Crown stays or not calling evidence) was reduced by 29%.
- Despite the fact that DVTO clients are generally difficult and challenging, the rates of re-assault were amazingly low. For example, 12 months after clients completed contact with the program, only 9% had re-assaulted. The rates of re-assaults 15 months after intake into the program were 18%.
- The DVTO as a whole was very effective in dealing with domestic abuse cases. Connecting with victims was the only process objective not fully achieved by the DVTO.
Contact the National Crime Prevention Centre at 1-877-302-6272 for more information or to receive a copy of the 2005 final evaluation report. The report can also be found at: http://ucalgary.ca/~crilf/publications/Final_Outcome_Analysis_Report.pdf
For information on the effectiveness of other domestic violence court models, check out the recently published book What’s Law Got To Do With It?: The Law, Specialized Courts and Domestic Violence in Canada, available through the NCFV library reference collection.
Specialized Domestic Violence Courts in Canada
Dedicated domestic violence or family violence courts have been established in several jurisdictions in Canada to address the unique nature of violence which occurs within the family, as opposed to violence between strangers or casual acquaintances. Some of the challenges with hearing family violence cases in mainstream criminal courtrooms include a high proportion of recanting and reluctant victims and witnesses. In some jurisdictions, there are concerns that systemic pressures on the courts prevent a thorough hearing of these cases.
The primary objectives of domestic violence courts are generally to:
- provide mechanisms designed to respond to the unique nature of family violence;
- facilitate early intervention and prosecution of violence directed at family members;
- provide appropriate support to victims; and
- increase offender accountability.
Dedicated family or domestic violence courts or court processes have been established in the following Canadian jurisdictions (with the year of establishment in brackets):
- Manitoba (1990)
- Ontario (1997)
- Alberta (2000)
- Yukon (2000)
- Saskatchewan (2003)
- New Brunswick (2007)
- Newfoundland and Labrador (2008/2009)
Different jurisdictions have chosen different models of specialized courts. For example, some models allow early intervention for low-risk offenders, some use a therapeutic court option, and most prosecute severe and repeat offenders vigorously.
For more information on existing models and current research on specialized family or domestic violence courts, visit the Northern Society for Domestic Peace website here or check out the following publications:
The NCFV offers over 130 publications, including overview papers, reports, discussion papers and handbooks on family violence issues. To preview our most recent publications, please see our What's New page.
NCFV publications are available free of charge, in hard copy or online, in English and French and in alternative formats. To order, please visit our Web site or contact us.
New in the NCFV:
- Handbook on Sensitive Practices for Health Care Practitioners
- Abuse is Wrong in Any Language – This publication is available in French, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Czech, Hungarian, Punjabi, Romanian, Serbian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, and Tagalog.
- Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper
- Raising Today’s Teens: Why Parents Matter (Overview Paper)
- Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence Against Women
- Up Against A Wall - Coping with Becoming a Teen - When You Have Been Maltreated as a Child
- Child maltreatment and alcohol
- Intimate partner violence and alcohol
- Interpersonal violence and alcohol
- Elder abuse and alcohol
- Youth violence and alcohol
The NCFV provides an extensive library reference collection, housed in the Health Canada Departmental Library. The following books may be borrowed through an interlibrary loan through your local public, academic or institutional library:
Resources on domestic violence courts:
Bill no. 23: Domestic Violence Court Act (Nova Scotia)
Nova Scotia. House of Assembly. Office of the Legislative Counsel
Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, 2007
Available: http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/bills/60th_2nd/1st_read/b023.htm
Courts and communities: confronting violence in the family; conference highlights, by Meredith Hofford, National Council on Family and Juvenile Court Judges (United States).
Reno, NV: National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges, 1994,
Call no.: ncfv/KF505.5.C6/C866/1993
Domestic Violence Court (DVC) program (Ontario)
Ontario. Ministry of the Attorney General
Toronto: Ministry of the Attorney General, 2007
Available: http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/vw/dvc.asp
Domestic violence court: examine existing models and current research [web links]
Smithers, B.C.: Northern Society for Domestic Peace
WB: http://www.domesticpeace.ca/stopviolence_dvcourt.html
Fact sheet: Regina Domestic Violence Court
Saskatchewan: Ministry of Justice and Attorney General
Regina: Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, 2008
Available: http://www.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?mediaId=448&PN=Shared
Family violence: state-of-the-art court programs, by Meredith Hofford, Susan J. Dansie; National Council on Family and Juvenile Court Judges (U.S.).
Reno, NV: National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges, 1992
Call no.: ncfv/KF505.5.F3/H698/1992
The Family Violence Court of Winnipeg
Jane E. Ursel
Winnipeg: University of Manitoba, 1992
Call no.: ncfv/HQ809.3.C2/C212.FV/4887-07/92-027-urs
Final report: year 1: Family Violence Court Winnipeg: criminolgy research centre
Jane E. Ursel
Winnipeg: Manitoba Research Centre on Family violence and Violence against Women, 1993
Call no.: ncfv/HQ809.3.C2/C212.FV/4887-07/-92-027fr1
Final report: year 2: Family Violence Court Winnipeg
Jane E. Ursel
Winnipeg: Manitoba Research Centre on Family violence and Violence against Women, 1994
Call no.: ncfv/HQ809.3.C2/C212.FV/4887-07/-92-027fr2
A judicial perspective on Manitoba's specialized family violence court
Lea Duval, S.l., s.n., 2005
Available: http://www.domesticpeace.ca/documents/ManitobaDVCJudicialPerspective2005.pdf
Offender Profile and Recidivism among Domestic Violence Offenders in Ontario
Nathalie Quann, Research and Statistics Division
Ottawa: Department of Justice Canada, 2006 [rr06-fv3e]
Available: http://canada2.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/rs/rep-rap/2006/rr06_fv3-rr06_vf3/toc-tdm.html
"Operational Responses to Domestic Violence: Domestic Violence Courts and Related Processes"
Proceedings from the 2003 National Victims of Crime Conference
Ottawa: Department of Justice Canada
Available: http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/pcvi-cpcv/pub/nvc-cnv/after-apres.html#operational
Protection of victims of domestic violence: options for law reform in New Brunswick
New Brunswick: Justice and Consumer Affairs, 2004
Available: http://www.gnb.ca/0062/publications/Violence_E.pdf
What's law go to do with it?: the law, specialized courts and domestic violence in Canada
Jane E. Ursel, Leslie M. Tutty, Janice Lemaistre
Toronto: Cormorant Books, 2008
Call no.: ncfv/KE8925/W555/2008
"The Winnipeg Family Violence Court"
Juristat, Vol. 14, No. 12, May 1994
Jane E. Ursel,
Call no.: ncfv/HQ809.3.C2/C212.FV/4888-07/-90-011jur
Available: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/html/fvwinnipeg_e.html
Winnipeg Family Violence Court: evaluation
Jane E. Ursel; University of Manitoba
Ottawa: Dept. of Justice, 1995
Call no.: ncfv/HQ809.3.C2/C212.FV/4888-07/-90-011
New to the Library Reference Collection:
Childhood victimization: violence, crime, and abuse in the lives of young people, by David Finkelhor. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008, 240 p.
ncfv/HV6626.52/F499/2008
Publisher's abstract: http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/SocialWork/?view=usa&ci=9780195342857
Civil domestic violence legislation in Saskatchewan: an assessment of the first decade, by Wanda Wiegers & Fiona Douglas. Regina: Canadian Plains Research Centre, 2007, 111 p.
ncfv/KES70.7.P4/W645/2007
Publisher's abstract: http://www.publications.gov.sk.ca/details.cfm?p=23698
Helping an abused woman: 101 things to know, say and do, by Linda L. Baker & Alison Cunningham. London, ON: Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System, 2008, 76 p.
ncfv/HV1444/B167/2008
Publisher's abstract: http://www.lfcc.on.ca/HHG_helping_an_abused_woman.html
Intimate partner violence against women in New York City, by New York City, Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene New York: Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2008, 23 p.
Available: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/public/ipv-08.pdf
Surviving the system handbook: advice on using the legal system if you are a survivor of sexual violence, by the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children (London, Ont.). Publisher London, ON: Centre for Research & Education on Violence against Women and Children, 2008, 111 p.
Available: http://www.crvawc.ca/documents/Surviving%20the%20System%20Handbook%20-%20Final.pdf
Too safe for their own good: how risk and responsibility help teens thrive, by Michael Ungar. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2007, 212 p.
Call number ncfv/HQ769/U57/2007
Publisher's abstract: http://www.mcclelland.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780771087080
In collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada, the NCFV offers a vast collection of videos that address family violence. Videos may be borrowed through NFB partner public libraries across Canada or through an interlibrary loan through your local public, academic or institutional library. To obtain a complete list of videos, libraries and distributors, please contact us or vist our online video catalogue.
Recent additions to the Video Collection:
In Her Own Time
Based on the findings of the Measures of Empowerment Research conducted in 2001, this video illustrates four themes of empowerment through the stories of four women who sought help to end violence in their lives. This video is intended for those who provide support and assistance to women who have experienced violence and who are seeking help from the criminal justice system. (2005)
What everyone should know about woman abuse
The Neighbours, Friends and Families video provides critical information about how neighbours, friends and families are impacted by woman abuse. Thoughtful commentary from members of the Neighbours, Friends and Families Expert Panel illustrates the importance of community-based strategies for ending woman abuse. (2006)
Key Dates
March 8, 2009 – International Women’s Day.
http://www.internationalwomensday.com
April 26 to May 2, 2009 – National Victims of Crime Awareness Week (NVCAW). Promotional materials to assist you in raising awareness during NVCAW 2009 are now available at: http://www.victimsweek.gc.ca/res/toc-tdm.html.
March 2 to 4, 2009 - 2009 Conference on Crimes Against Women, Dallas, Texas, USA
http://www.ccawonline.org/2009_Conference.html
March 5 to 6, 2009 – Healing, Hope & Justice Conference, Richmond, BC
http://www.familyjusticecenter.org/index.php/calendar/view-event37/Conferences/
healing-hope-and-justice-conference.php
March 5 to 6, 2009 - SAVIR (Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research) Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
http://www.med.emory.edu/CME/coure/09/09-EM0304.c
March 6 to 7, 2009 - Le droit en matière des agressions sexuelles : la pratique et le travail de militantisme après l’affaire Jane Doe, Ottawa, ON http://www.commonlaw.uottawa.ca/index.php?option=com_
content&task=view&id=3160&Itemid=432&pid=&lang=fr
March 10, 2009 - Séminaire de transfert des connaissances : L’utilisation des facteurs d’aide : des outils pour les pratiques de groupe auprès des femmes et des enfants en contexte de violence conjugale, Laval, QC
http://www.criviff.qc.ca/cms/liste_activites.php?mois=3&annee=2009&lang=fr&menu=20&sous_section=activite_criviff
March 18 to 20, 2009 - 2nd International Meeting on Crime Observatories, Santiago, Chile
http://www.crime-prevention-intl.org
March 23 to 24, 2009 - Responding to Trauma, Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute, Inc., Ottawa, ON
http://www.ctrinstitute.com/winterspring09/ontario.html
March 25, 2009 - Critical Incident Group Debriefing, Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute, Inc., Ottawa, ON
http://www.ctrinstitute.com/winterspring09/ontario.html
March 25 to 26, 2009 - Responding to Trauma, Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute, Inc., Thunder Bay, ON
http://www.ctrinstitute.com/winterspring09/ontario.html
March 26, 2009 - Sexual Violence Prevention: Connecting the Dots, Eatontown, NJ, USA
http://www.njcasa.org/conference09.htm
March 27, 2009 - Critical Incident Group Debriefing, Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute, Inc., Thunder Bay, ON
http://www.ctrinstitute.com/winterspring09/ontario.html
March 30 to April 3, 2009 - 2009 Global Symposium on Engaging Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
http://www.engagingmen2009.org
March 30 to 31, 2009 - Responding to Trauma, Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute, Inc., Toronto, ON
http://www.ctrinstitute.com/winterspring09/ontario.html
March 30 to April 2, 2009 – The Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma 6th Annual Hawaii Conference on Preventing, Assessing & Treating Childhood, Adolescent and Adult Trauma, Honolulu, HI, USA
http://www.ivatcenters.org/index.asp
March 30 to April 4, 2009 - 17th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect: Focusing on the Future: Strengthening Families and Communities, Atlanta, GA, USA
http://www.pal-tech.com/government/?subsec=44
April 1, 2009 - Critical Incident Group Debriefing, Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute, Inc., Toronto, ON
http://www.ctrinstitute.com/winterspring09/ontario.html
April 1 to 3, 2009 – XIIème Congrès International de l’Association Internationale de Formation et de Recherche en Éducation Familiale (AIFREF) : Précarités et éducation familiale, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse II-Le Mirail, France
http://www.aifref.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1&Itemid=17
April 6 to 8, 2009 - Dancing in the Light - Sexual Abuse Conference, Bella Coola, BC
http://www.nuxalknation.org
April 14 to 15, 2009 - Men and Women as Allies, Washington, DC, USA
http://mencanstoprape.org/conference/
April 21 to 23, 2009 – 2009 International Family Justice Center Conference, Costa Mesa, California, USA
http://www.familyjusticecenter.org/index.php/our-conference/conferences/index.php
April 23 to 25, 2009 - 24th Annual Training Symposium of the Police Victim Services of British Columbia, Victoria, BC
http://www.policevictimservices.bc.ca/conference/index.php
April 24 to 25, 2009 – Sowing Seeds of Academic Change, Nurturing New Paradigms, Minneapolis, MN, USA
http://www.avahealth.org
April 24 to 26, 2009 - Forum social de Laval, Laval, QC
http://www.cdclaval.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&
id=7&Itemid=70&273e28ae91d9b23c3b7a4182561049f0=8d2b53ed721f5836e838a6206b8ae2cb
April 26 to 29, 2009 – JWI (Jewish Women International)'s Fourth International Conference on Domestic Abuse, Crystal City, Virginia, USA
http://www.jwi.org/site/c.okLWJ3MPKtH/b.2237741/
April 27 to 29, 2009 - Towards 2020: Canada's Commitment to Children & Youth, Ottawa, ON
http://www.simcoecountycoalition.ca/Libraries/charters/Towards_2020_handout_from_June_25_PROCEEDINGS_DOC_1_sflb_ashx.sflb.ashx
April 29 to May 1, 2009 - Innovation Through Collaboration: Building a Community Response to Family Violence, Columbus, OH, USA
http://www.ccafv.org/conference/
May 5 to 9, 2009 – Child Abuse and Family Violence Summit, Portland, OR, USA
http://www.clackamas.us/sheriff/summit/
May 6 to 8, 2009 - ‘The Raising our Spirit Energy Conference (Ganohkwasra Family Assault Support Service), Brantford, ON
http://www.ganohkwasra.ca/
May 11 to 12, 2009 - Mind the Gap 3 (2009): A Closer Look at Violence, Resistance & Language, Vancouver, BC
infinity9@shaw.ca (Cathy Richardson)
May 11 to 13, 2009 -- 5e Congrès international francophone sur l’agression sexuelle, Montréal, QC
http://www.pinel.qc.ca/Evenement.aspx?nav_id=3404&lang_id=F
May 13 to 15, 2009 - Engaging Reflection in Health Professional Education and Practice, London, ON
http://www.reflectivepractice.ca
May 13 to 15, 2009 - International Conference for Batterer Intervention Program Professionals: Intervening with Men Who Batter, Minneapolis, MN, USA
http://www.bridgingperspectives.org/
May 18 to 20, 2009 – International Conference on Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence & Stalking, Anaheim, CA, USA
http://www.evawintl.org/conferencedetail.aspx?confid=6
May 19 to 22, 2009 - First Canadian Social Forum, Calgary, AB
http://www.ccsd.ca/csf/2009/
May 20 to 22, 2009 – Précongrès et congrès 2009 de l’AQESSS (L’Association québécoise d’établissement de santé et des services sociaux), Montréal, QC
http://www.aqesss.qc.ca/571/Precongres.aqesss
May 21 to 22, 2009 - Stand Up - Speak Out (National Conference: A Call to Men), New York City, NY, USA
http://www.acalltomen.org/downloads.php
May 31 to June 3, 2009 - 2nd Restorative Practices International Conference: 'Widening Our Lens - Connecting Our Practice', Vancouver, BC
http://restorativepracticesinternational.org/9.html
May 31 to June 6, 2009 - Violences, Analyses féministes de nouveaux enjeux (dans le cadre du Diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées (DESS) en études féministes), Laval, QC
http://www.fss.ulaval.ca/universitefeministedete/
June 1 to 4, 2009 - The Next National Summit: Exploring Effective Interventions in Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment, Jackson Hole, WY, USA
E-mail cbehan@ncjfcj.org for more information or to be added to the mailing list for registration information.
June 1 to 6, 2009 - The Convention on the Rights of the Child - why it is time to ratify, Washington, DC, USA
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=18699&flag=event
June 14 to 16, 2009 - 1st Annual Canadian Conference on the Prevention of Domestic Homicides, London, ON
http://www.crvawc.ca/documents/Nat%20DVDRC%20conference%20flyer.pdf
August 3 to 4, 2009 - A Journey to Healing: Finding the Path, Long Beach, CA, USA
http://www.idvaac.org/healing/
September 3 to 4, 2009 – A New Direction for a Safer Tomorrow: A National Conference on Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange, San Diego, CA, USA
Email:mrobinson@ncjfcj.org
November 6 to 7, 2009 – First National Conference for Campus-Based Men’s Gender Equality & Anti-Violence Groups, Collegeville, MN, USA
Email: gkellom@csbsju.edu.
The NCFV E-bulletin invites provincial and territorial partners to highlight their initiatives as well as provide information, updates and other news.
ALBERTA
The first appearance Calgary Domestic Violence Court opened in 2000 and expanded to a Domestic Violence Trial Court in March 2005. This court operates in cooperation with HomeFront, a community collaboration of programs and services to reduce domestic violence by linking victims and offenders quickly and effectively with specialized counselling and treatment services.
In 2004, RESOLVE/Synergy conducted a comprehensive, independent program evaluation of HomeFront with funding from the National Crime Prevention Centre. Results indicate the number of offenders charged with new domestic violence offences was reduced from 34% to 12%. When offenders completed treatment as part of the HomeFront Programs, the rate of recidivism was reduced to 5.7%.
Domestic violence courts in Alberta have been established in seven other locations, including Edmonton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Fort McMurry, Airdrie and Grand Prairie.
To receive a copy of the HomeFront Evaluation Final Report, contact the National Crime Prevention Centre at 1-877-302-6272, or visit their website at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/cp/bldngevd/2007-es-06-eng.aspx
For more information on HomeFront and its work in the area of domestic violence, visit: http://www.homefrontcalgary.com/
The Regina Domestic Violence Court held its first sitting in Regina in March 2008. It is the third domestic violence court in Saskatchewan, following the implementation of domestic violence courts in the Battlefords in April 2003 and in Saskatoon in September 2005. The models for the courts vary, depending on the available resources and needs of the community.
The Regina Domestic Violence Court and the Battlefords Treatment Options Court are therapeutic, delayed sentencing courts that emphasize healing, offender accountability and victim support. Those offenders who enter a guilty plea to a charge involving domestic violence and who accept responsibility for the incident are referred to the treatment option. Those who enter a not guilty plea are transferred to another court for trial
The Saskatoon Domestic Violence Court also contains a treatment option component, but its approach is broader than the one adopted by the other two courts. It also deals with domestic violence matters set for trial or preliminary hearing.
All three courts work to increase the safety of victims of domestic violence by focusing on creating permanent changes in the behaviour of offenders. They do this through intensive support for victims and families starting as soon after the offence as possible. This includes referrals to existing counselling services, crisis intervention, ongoing information about the case, and an opportunity to participate in decisions affecting offenders.
For more information, contact Frankie Jordan, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, at (306) 787-8994 or www.justice.gov.sk.ca, or check out the Regina Domestic Violence Court Fact Sheet.
In April 2007, a specialized Domestic Violence Court opened its doors as a pilot project in Moncton, New Brunswick. The need for a specialized court was identified as a priority in the Government of New Brunswick action plan A Better World for Women: Moving Forward 2005-2010.
The model Court is designed to improve the criminal justice response to victims while promoting offender accountability by using a specialized approach in domestic violence cases. As part of the Court, a team of dedicated professionals works with the Court to provide an integrated and holistic approach which includes risk/need assessments, intervention programs for perpetrators to help stop the cycle of violence, victim services for children and victims and probation services. It includes specialized training for police and other professionals who deal with the cases. The partnership between the Court, community groups and government departments and agencies make this unique court in the province and region a reality.
The Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research Team will conduct an evaluation of the New Brunswick specialized domestic violence court. The three-year evaluation will include extensive data gathering, both qualitative and quantitative. The purpose of the evaluation will be to describe how the specialized court is implemented, and to assess the functions and processes of the court.
For more information on this evaluation, visit the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research website.
Women’s Partnership Fund 2008-2009
The Women's Partnership Fund of Status of Women Canada provides contributions to support collaborative projects that involve non-governmental organizations in partnership with public institutions and other levels of government. The objective of the Women’s Partnership Fund is to build partnerships between Status of Women Canada, eligible non-governmental organizations and public institutions to address the economic and social situation of women and their participation in democratic life.
The following issues have been identified as priorities for 2008-2009:
- women's economic security (with a focus on financial literacy)
- women's economic prosperity
- women's leadership development
Applications to the Women's Partnership Fund must be developed collaboratively by the applicant group, Status of Women Canada officials and the other funding partner(s). Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Preliminary proposals will be required for initial assessment.
For more information on the Women’s Partnership Fund, consult the Partnership Fund Information Guide.
Introducing Dr. Myrna Dawson
Dr. Myrna Dawson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Guelph and a Canada Research Chair in Public Policy in Criminal Justice. She is a member of the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario, and the Academic Advisory Committee, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. She is also a research associate with the Centre for Research & Education on Violence against Women and Children.
Dr. Dawson’s research interests include trends in and characteristics of lethal and non-lethal violence with a specialization on intimate partner violence and the social and legal responses to victimization in Canadian society. Three of her current projects examine: the implementation of specialized courts and their transformation of legal and victim service professionals’ response to justice in Canada; how three decades of legal and social change in Canadian society may be contributing to varying patterns in violent victimization; and how the term 'insane' violent offender has evolved, including who successfully uses the legal defence 'not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder'.
Recently, Dr. Dawson received funding from the Canadian Foundation of Innovation to implement a research unit that will support these and other projects that are in various stages of development, one of which will utilize GIS techniques (i.e., spatial mapping) to study the link between victim services and violent victimization.
Her awards include the Canadian Policy Research Award from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research for her work on intimacy and justice and a Gene Carte Award, from the American Society of Criminology, for her research on specialized domestic violence courts (with R. Dinovitzer). Myrna was also an expert witness at the Ontario Coroner's Inquest into the murder of Gillian Hadley by her husband.
Sample Publications:
Dawson, M. (2006). Intimacy, violence and the law: Exploring stereotypes about the victim-defendant relationship and violent crime. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 96(4): 1417-1450.http://www.uoguelph.ca/socwww/faculty_staff/myrna_dawson.htm
Dawson, M. & S. Welsh. (2005) “Predicting the Quantity of Law: Single Versus Multiple Remedies in Sexual Harassment Cases.” The Sociological Quarterly 46: 699-718http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17661216.
Dawson, M. (2004) “Intimate femicide followed by suicide: Examining the role of premeditation.” Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior 35(1):http://www.uoguelph.ca/socwww/facultystaff/myrna_dawson.htm
Dawson, M. (2004) “Rethinking the boundaries of intimacy at the end of the century: The role of the victim-defendant relationship in criminal justice decision-making over time.” Law & Society Review 38(1): 105-138.http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=16093462
Dawson, M. (2003) “The cost of ‘lost’ intimacy: The effect of relationship state on criminal justice decision-making.” The British Journal of Criminology 43(4): 689-709.http://bjc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/43/4/689
Welsh, S., M. Dawson, & A. Nierobis. (2002) “Legal Factors, Extra-Legal Factors or Changes in the Law? Using Criminal Justice Research to Understand the Resolution of Sexual Harassment Complaints over Time.” Social Problems 46(4).http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1525/sp.2002.49.4.605
Dawson, M. & R. Dinovitzer. (2001). Victim Cooperation and the Prosecution of Domestic Violence in a Specialized Court. Justice Quarterly 18(3): 593-622.http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=info:nbHEj39lmkEJ:scholar.google.com/&output=viewport&pg
Organizational Profile: Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research at the University of New Brunswick – Canadian Observatory on the Justice System’s Response to Intimate Partner Violence
Led by Dr. Carmen Gill, Director of the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, the Canadian observatory on the justice system’s response to intimate partner violence is a research network involving academic, government, and community partners from all Canadian provinces and territories, and three countries (Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) similarly adopting specialized court processes to deal with cases of intimate partner violence. The Canadian observatory is:
- emphasizing bilingual dialogue and in-depth research on the justice system response to intimate partner violence;
- creating standardized data sets on the justice system response to intimate partner violence, including specialized responses (police, prosecutions, sentencing) and civil legislation; and
- developing regional, national and international forums for dissemination of its research results.
In 2007/08, the Canadian observatory piloted a grid for data collection to gather information from Crown prosecutors’ files on offenders in four Canadian sites: Winnipeg, where specialized domestic violence courts have been in place for some time; Guelph and Calgary, where specialized domestic violence courts are quite new; and Fredericton, where specialized domestic violence courts are not in place. The grid is also being adapted and piloted by the international partners in four sites where specialized court processes are currently in place.
An examination of the justice system’s response to intimate partner violence from different jurisdictions will provide stakeholders with an enhanced understanding of how diverse justice responses operate, help to identify the critical ingredients of success, and pinpoint what constitutes an effective justice response including policing, offender accountability, victim safety, case management, resource allocation, and policy development. A data warehouse is also being developed, which will be used to store and share research information on the justice system’s response to intimate partner violence. Data collection on various aspects of the justice response to intimate partner violence will be ongoing throughout the project.
The Canadian observatory is funded by the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s (SSHRC) Strategic Knowledge Clusters program, 2007-2014.
Further information on the Canadian observatory and its activities is available at: http://www.unb.ca/observ/index.php
The NCFV’s May E-bulletin will focus on family violence prevention in Aboriginal Communities.
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Content of the NCFV E-Bulletin is provided as an information-sharing service; inclusion does not represent endorsement by the PHAC or FVI member departments.
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National Clearinghouse on Family Violence: Telephone 1-800-267-1291 or (613) 957-2938; TTY 1-800-465-7735 or 613-952-6396; Fax (613) 941-8930; Web site http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/nc-cn; e-mail ncfv-cnivf@phac-aspc.gc.ca
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