First component of Kahnawake Justice Act implemented

11/08/2022

The Mohawk Council of Kahnaw�:ke (MCK) is proud to inform the community that the first component of the Kahnaw�:ke Justice Act has been approved and has been brought into force today by the Kahnaw�: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 Kahnaw�:ke to Sk�n:nen Aons�n:ton (�To Become Peaceful Again�) for resolution using restorative justice.

Sk�n:nen Aons�n:ton has been in existence since 2000. As per the Kahnaw�:ke Justice Act, in keeping with the principles of balance and harmony, the use of Sk�n:nen Aons�n: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 Sk�n:nen Aons�n:ton).

�The Justice Act gives our community the formal means to build jurisdiction,� said Iets�nhaienhs Tonya Perron, who holds the lead on the Justice Portfolio on behalf of the MCK. �This new protocol helps position Sk�n:nen Aons�n:ton as the entry point and foundation of Kahnaw�: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 Kahnaw�: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 Kahnaw�:ke Justice Act can be viewed by clicking here.