AG Niki Sharma announced opening of Kamloops' Indigenous Justice Centre (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

INDIGENOUS JUSTICE

Attorney General Sharma opens new Indigenous Justice Centre in Kamloops

Feb 6, 2025 | 4:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops is among several communities that are now home to an Indigenous Justice Centre (IJC).

“We are opening six new Indigenous Justice Centres and fulfilling our commitment to establish a network of 15 centres throughout B.C.,” said British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma in Kamloops Thursday (Feb. 6).

The opening of the new centres completes the fourth item of the B.C. First Nations Justice Strategy.

“It was designed to address the over-representation of Indigenous people in the justice system, to revitalize Indigenous laws and tradition, and to create a pathway to reconciliation and healing,” said Sharma. “IJCs are places where Indigenous clients can receive free legal advice, advocacy, representation and wraparound services — and so much more.”

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Each justice centre takes influence from the local First Nations in the region, providing culturally appropriate legal advice and representation.

“This Indigenous Justice Centre is truly about reclaiming our connections to the land and to each other and breaking down those barriers that keep our people isolated but also hurting,” said Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir.

To date, Justice Centres in B.C. have helped more than 600 clients on more than 2,000 individual cases, with those numbers now expected to increase dramatically.

“Our IJCs understand the importance of culture, law and ceremonies as they are at the heart of our communities,” said Boyd Peters, Vice-Chair of the BC First Nations Justice Council. “And that is why our services are not only geared towards providing legal support but reconnecting people back to their communities. It’s that kinship and when you feel alone without connections to family, to culture, to yourself, then they fall through the cracks.”

The Kamloops location is staffed by one lawyer along with a pair of assistants, easily handling the current caseload.

“For centuries, our children were taken from their families, their culture and legal orders were criminalized. We were even barred from attending law school or hiring legal counsel. That past is no more. Today, we celebrate a new legacy — the legacy of our Indigenous Justice Centres,” stated Peters.