The Complainant: The Canadian Human Rights Case on First Nations Child Welfare
Open accessAbstract
In February 2007, the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations filed a complaint under the Canadian Human Rights Act alleging that the Government of Canada’s inequitable provision of child welfare services to 163,000 First Nations children, along with its flawed implementation of Jordan’s Principle, was discriminatory on the prohibited grounds of race and national ethnic origin. The case was highly contested. By the time the final arguments were heard in 2014, the Government of Canada had made eight unsuccessful attempts to get the case dismissed on technical grounds and breached the law on three occasions. On 26 January 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal substantiated the complaint and ordered the Canadian Government to cease its discriminatory conduct. This article describes this historic case from the perspective of the executive director of the complainant, the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, highlighting access to justice issues for equality-seeking Indigenous groups, children, and civil society. Recommendations for reform are discussed.
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Canada has a history of human rights abuses against Indigenous children including children with disabilities.
“Finally, Canada has a history of human rights abuses against Indigenous children including children with disabilities.”
From Indigenous Autism in Canada: A Scoping Review (2024) · cites this paper as Blackstock, 2016
In 2016, the Human Rights Tribunal agreed that Canada was discriminating based on race, yet until recently the federal government ignored and failed to comply with this ruling.
“In 2016, the Human Rights Tribunal agreed that Canada was indeed discriminating based on race, yet until recently the federal government of ignored and failed to comply with this ruling.”
From Indigenous Autism in Canada: A Scoping Review (2024) · cites this paper as Blackstock, 2016
The FNCFCS and AFN successfully argued the crown discriminated against First Nations children in a flawed child welfare system, which includes disability services and supports.
“The FNCFCS and AFN successfully argued the crown discriminated against First Nations children in a flawed child welfare system, which includes disability services and supports.”
From Indigenous Autism in Canada: A Scoping Review (2024) · cites this paper as Blackstock, 2016
In 2007 the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and the Assembly of First Nations brought forward allegations that the federal government had discriminated against First Nations children under the Canadian Human Rights Act.
“In 2007 the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society (FNCSFCS) of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) brought forward allegations that the federal government had discriminated against First Nations children under the Canadian Human Rights Act (Blackstock, 2016).”
From Indigenous Autism in Canada: A Scoping Review (2024) · cites this paper as Blackstock, 2016
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- Authors
- Blackstock, C.
- Corresponding author
- Blackstock, Cindy
- ORCID
- Blackstock, Cindy
- Venue
- McGill Law Journal
- Published
- 2017-06-05
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 285-328
- ISSN
- 0024-9041 (ISSN-L)
- 1920-6356
- OpenAlex
- W2660585010
- Cited by
- 55
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 30.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Locations
- McGill Law Journal (publishedVersion)
- Érudit (Université de Montréal) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Law › Indigenous Peoples' Rights and Law
- Social Sciences › Law › Discrimination and Equality Law
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Multicultural Socio-Legal Studies
- Keywords
- Canadian Human Rights Act, Assembly of First Nations, access to justice, indigenous children, civil society, child welfare services, legal reform
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