Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan Education Seminar Fall 2020
This seminar was intended to help judicial participants recognize their own internal biases and develop cultural competence skills in a safe environment as well as expanding their awareness of the realities of drug use on both on the streets in different jurisdictions of the province and how the courts do, and can, address underlying addictions issues more holistically.
Number of Participants: 11
Overview
This seminar was intended to help judicial participants recognize their own internal biases and develop cultural competence skills in a safe environment as well as expanding their awareness of the realities of drug use on both on the streets in different jurisdictions of the province and how the courts do, and can, address underlying addictions issues more holistically.
Objective
Participants recognized their own internal biases through interactive exercises and small group discussions. They explored the roots of internal biases, as well as how they can be counteracted by exploring case scenarios. Participants better understood the different regional realities across different communities of the province regarding drug practices and addictions. They also analysed how specialized courts offer examples of different approaches for treating these issues more holistically.
Summary
The September 2020 Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan Education Seminar was delivered in a hybrid form, addressing the topics of implicit bias and cultural competence, the illegal drug trade, and the intersection between addictions and the courts.
Delivered through Zoom, the virtual sessions on Implicit Bias and Cultural Competence utilized interactive techniques to challenge participants in considering their own implicit biases as they collaboratively worked through scenarios, explored implicit bias testing, and engaged in small group discussions.
The in-person program began with a session looking critically at Illegal Drugs in Saskatchewan: A Front-Line Perspective, which included a roundtable discussion facilitated by the Regina Police Service, addressing the realities unique to Saskatchewan.
The program concluded with a session entitled Drug Addiction and the Courts: A Legal Approach? A Treatment Approach? Or Both? In this session, the intersection between addictions and the criminal justice system were explored by those involved directly with Drug Treatment Court.