Justice Canada funds $222,058 training for sexual-orientation court reports
Impact of Race and Culture Assessments, known as IRCAs, are pre-sentencing reports that Justice Canada says "help sentencing judges to better understand the effect of poverty," marginalization and racism, and that "have been used primarily for Black offenders, both adults and youth, at the sentencing stage."
The Department of Justice has signed a $222,058 contribution agreement with Black LGBTQ Justice Canada Inc. of Toronto to train and certify authors of "Black LGBTQ Justice Affirming Assessment Reports," a new kind of court report that brings a defendant's sexual orientation and gender identity into their dealings with the criminal justice system, according to the federal grants disclosure database.
The agreement runs from July 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 under the department's Legal Aid program.
The record describes the reports as "Similar to Impact of Race Culture Assessments" and says they "incorporate sexual orientation, gender identity, and other intersectional considerations into reports that supports Black LGBTQ individuals' interactions with the criminal justice system". The project will "offer training and certification" in the reports, "accredited through the Law Society of Ontario", through a four-module curriculum delivered in three sessions in Vancouver, Halifax and Montreal.
Impact of Race and Culture Assessments, known as IRCAs, are pre-sentencing reports that Justice Canada says "help sentencing judges to better understand the effect of poverty," marginalization and racism, and that "have been used primarily for Black offenders, both adults and youth, at the sentencing stage."
Ottawa committed $6.64 million over five years to IRCAs, followed by $1.6 million a year.
Rebel News has covered IRCAs in our Justice Watch series, including a Nova Scotia case in which a judge cut a sex offender's sentence after a race and culture assessment.
Black LGBTQ Justice Canada says its mission "charts the course for justice-impacted Black LGBTQ individuals through holistic, affirming support." Its website lists Dr. Wesley Crichlow as founder and a board co-chaired by Emma Joseph and Tandy Clarke, and already advertises a "BLGBTQJAA Certification" with pages for Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and British Columbia.
The record does not say whether the new reports are meant for sentencing, bail or elsewhere, or whether any court has yet accepted one.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Editor-in-Chief, Alberta Bureau Chief, member of the board of directors, and host of The Gunn Show at Rebel News. Sheila also serves as President of the Independent Press Gallery of Canada. A mother of three and longtime conservative activist, Sheila is the author of bestselling books, including her most recent release, Independence Blueprint: What Alberta Can Learn From Quebec.
https://mybook.to/sheilaFeatured Stories
