Tangible change or deaf ears?: An exploration of Canadian justice and juris doctorate programs in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action

Since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action in 2015, there has not been any research pertaining to their uptake in law schools and justice programs across Canada. This study involved a literature review and an environmental scan of 17 law schools and 25 justice-related programs across Canada and examined their respective curriculums to determine whether and how they have shown consideration for the TRC’s 28th and 63rd Calls to Action. It was posited that, if lawyers and law enforcement workers are not being educated on Indigenous issues while they are in school then they will be more prone to negative interactions with Indigenous clients and individuals. Ultimately, this could contribute to the significant overrepresentation of Indigenous persons in custody in the Canadian justice system. The findings indicated that there is indeed a lack of consideration for the Calls to Action - more so for justice programs than law schools but apparent in both nonetheless. Further research will be required to explore this issue in depth, including what barriers prevent programs and schools from instituting the Calls to Action, and to ensure that academic institutions are contributing to reconciliation efforts and making tangible steps towards change.