On Tuesday, the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI, Lennox Island First Nation, Abegweit First Nation, and DFO all signed a Restorative Justice agreement.
It adds Fisheries Act offences to the Confederacy’s Indigenous Justice Program already in place on the Island. This is the first agreement of its kind in eastern Canada.
Restorative justice is an alternative to the traditional court system that allows Indigenous and other groups to use a process based on holistic community values. Victims and offenders mediate a restitution agreement – one that often involves the community.