The path, start to finish
How it works
Every court runs a little differently, but most cases follow the same shape. Here is the path, with a page for each step.
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Is it for me?
This court serves people who identify as Indigenous: First Nations with or without status, Métis, and Inuit. There are no trials here.
Who can use this court -
Know your Gladue rights
Wherever your case is heard, a sentencing judge must consider your circumstances as an Indigenous person. Choosing or refusing this court changes nothing about that.
Your Gladue rights, explained -
Talk to a lawyer
Free help exists before you decide anything: First Nations Court duty counsel, the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic, and legal aid. Never plead guilty without legal advice.
Who to call -
Getting your case there
You, your lawyer, or duty counsel can ask for the move, and a judge or Crown counsel can suggest it. Crown counsel usually has to agree as well.
How referral works -
The guilty plea
This court is for people who take responsibility. Exactly when the plea happens can differ from case to case, and your lawyer will walk you through your own timeline.
What pleading guilty means -
Your first court day
Court happens in a circle, not rows. You sit with the judge, Elders, lawyers, courtworkers, and your supporters.
What a court day looks like -
The healing plan
The circle helps build a plan for you. It can include counselling, treatment, community service, and connection with your culture, and it can become part of your sentence.
What goes in a healing plan -
Review hearings
Reviews are a common part of the process. In most courts you return several times so the judge and Elders can see your progress.
What happens at a review -
Finishing
When you complete your healing plan, you graduate. Some courts mark it with a blanket ceremony.
How it ends
The exact order can shift from case to case, and no two courts run identically. Take this as the usual shape of the path, not a rulebook, and lean on the free help at every step.
Before your first day, read how to do well in this court.