Justice minister establishes committee to review issues relating to violence against women

Minister of Justice and Attorney General Tom Marshall today announced a collaborative partnership between government and community with the creation of a minister�s committee to help identify and establish approaches to improve the justice response to women in tuations of violence. The inaugural meeting was held this morning.

"This committee represents a positive and proactive move to help develop short and long-term approaches to policy, service and legislative issues relating to violence against women. We are committed to helping address issues of family violence, and felt that it was important to put a committee together which represented a number of perspectives and individuals with a history of commitment to addressing violence against women," stated Minister Marshall. "Family violence legislation is a high priority for the Department of Justice and will be on this committee�s agenda to research and make recommendations. This is one aspect of the work of the committee but, overall, the efforts and mandate will extend beyond legislation."

The Minister�s Committee on Violence Against Women represents a group of government and community representatives who have experience and sound knowledge of issues surrounding violence against women, and includes representatives from: Victims Services, Courts, Police, Public Prosecutions, Community Corrections, Legal Aid, Women�s Policy Office, the Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women, Provincial Transition House Association, Regional Coordinating Coalition Against Violence - St. John's, Western Regional Coalition To End Violence (Western), and the John Howard Society.

"It was important that all regions were represented on this committee, and groups with affiliations across Newfoundland and Labrador will be active with this mandate," noted Minister Marshall. "This committee will bring valuable insight and help identify priority issues and needs and will be an important resource to help initiate positive change surrounding family violence."

February has been proclaimed Violence Prevention Month in Newfoundland and Labrador with the theme "People have a right to a safe and secure environment." The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to addressing the problem of violence in this province through the Violence Prevention Initiative which is based on a vision that the people of our province will live in safe, caring communities where there is an inherent respect for each other and violence is unacceptable. To find out more about the Violence Prevention Initiative, visit: //www.gov.nl.ca/vpi

Joan Burke, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, is encouraged that work has now begun to specifically address issues within the justice system related to women. "As February is Violence Prevention Month, I applaud the Department of Justice, our partner in the Violence Prevention Initiative, for launching this committee to advise government on needed changes to family law legislation," said Minister Burke. "It is extremely important that an integrated approach is taken between government departments and community agencies and advocates to make real inroads in addressing the issues and needs of women, especially those women who find themselves in a very vulnerable position."

Photo #1: Minister�s Committee on Violence Against Women

Media contact: Heather MacLean, Communications, (709) 729-6985 or (709) 690-2498

2005 02 03                     2:55 p.m.