Listuguj Court Cases Now Held in Carleton
The Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government would like to announce a significant change when it comes to Listuguj court cases.
As of today, all criminal court cases will be held at the Point de service de justice de Carleton-sur-Mer. In the past there have been challenges with language barriers and travelling to New Carlisle, and having these cases moved to Carleton will help prevent these issues and prioritize Listuguj. Going forward, our community members will be able to use sacred medicines, such as an Eagle Feather when swearing under oath, and court cases will be done in English.
Earlier today, Listuguj Elder, Roseann Martin did a special pipe ceremony inside the court room. She then gifted the court an Eagle Feather and our four Sacred medicines (sage, sweet grass, cedar and tobacco), along with our Mi’gmaq flag that symbolizes our culture and way of being, within the court room.
Wela’lioq to everyone who helped make this historical change possible: Restorative Justice, Lawyer and President of the Bas-St-Laurent-Gaspésie- Îles de la Madeleine, Alexis Deschenes, Native Court Worker, Donna Marie Metallic, Avocat criminaliste, Hugo Caissy, retired lawyer, Richard Lavigne, Justice Janick Poirier, legal aid officers, defense lawyers and many more.
Information provided by Donna Marie Metallic.
