Justice Act formally enacted today

06/15/2015

The Mohawk Council of Kahnaw�:ke (MCK) wishes to inform the community that the Kahnaw�:ke Justice System Law, often referred to as the �Justice Act,� was officially enacted today through a Mohawk Council Executive Directive signed by all twelve (12) Council Chiefs.

The law is considered the most important single piece of legislation created in many years, and will provide the foundation for all existing and future Kahnaw�:ke legislation.

�Today�s signing is really a formal affirmation of the community�s will,� said Director of Justice Services Ron Skye. �This has gone through an incredible amount of discussion, consultation, debate and drafting. We have to thank the hundreds of Kahnawa�kehr�:non who have participated in the various phases of the Community Decision Making Process.�

�It is important for the community to realize that this law really gives us a starting point,� he continued. �Now that the foundation is in place, we can start building the structures. The main objective was to create a justice system that will respond to Kahnaw�:ke�s needs. The work to gain political recognition from outside bodies and strengthen our jurisdiction is already underway. But there is much, much more to be done.� 

�We will begin implementation on an incremental basis, as human and financial resources become available,� Skye concluded. �The next steps will be crucial, and the first thing we have to do is ensure that the community has a firm understanding of what exactly it means to have our own justice system. There is a real need to communicate this to the people, and today�s announcement is the start of that process. A lot more detail will be on the way.�

The law has been in development since 2007. It entered the Community Decision Making Process in 2009 and received a Community Mandate in February 2010. The final draft received Community Approval on November 12, 2014 and was formalized today.