First component of Kahnawake Justice Act implemented

11/08/2022

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) is proud to inform the community that the first component of the Kahnawà:ke Justice Act has been approved and has been brought into force today by the Kahnawà:ke Justice Commission. This important initial step will see the implementation of a protocol that allows for the transfer of criminal files from the Court of Kahnawà:ke to Skén:nen Aonsón:ton (“To Become Peaceful Again”) for resolution using restorative justice.

Skén:nen Aonsón:ton has been in existence since 2000. As per the Kahnawà:ke Justice Act, in keeping with the principles of balance and harmony, the use of Skén:nen Aonsón:ton is to be the first recourse in resolving conflict (for clarity, please note that not all files can or will be eligible for transfer to Skén:nen Aonsón:ton).

“The Justice Act gives our community the formal means to build jurisdiction,” said Ietsénhaienhs Tonya Perron, who holds the lead on the Justice Portfolio on behalf of the MCK. “This new protocol helps position Skén:nen Aonsón:ton as the entry point and foundation of Kahnawà:ke’s justice system. It promotes restorative justice as a more culturally appropriate means of resolving conflict in a peaceful, non-confrontational way.”

The new protocol is established pursuant to article 6.5 of the Kahnawà:ke Justice Act, which passed through the Community Decision Making Process and was enacted by MCR #1/2015-2016. The protocol can be viewed by clicking here, while the Kahnawà:ke Justice Act can be viewed by clicking here.