2003/04 – 2005/06 SERVICE PLAN Ministry of Attorney General

Appendix

Glossary

Administrative Justice Project: A review of the administrative justice system within B.C. is being undertaken with the objectives of ensuring that: administrative agencies meet the needs of the people they serve; their administrative processes are open and transparent; their mandates are modern and relevant; and government fulfills its obligations by providing the legislative and policy framework administrative agencies require to carry out their mandates effectively.

Alternative Measures (AM) Program: AM diverts low-risk offenders from the traditional court system to a process that allows more personal restitution to victims and communities. AM programs for adult offenders are managed by the ministry through contracts with community agencies.

CORNET: An electronic, integrated offender management information system.

Criminal Case Flow Management (CCFM): CCFM is a court reform developed and led by the Provincial Court Judiciary with the goals of ensuring that cases are concluded in a more timely and just manner, with greater certainty in scheduling and that Crown and defence have had meaningful discussions both at an early phase of the process and continuing throughout. Rules applicable to cases in British Columbia have been created under the Criminal Code of Canada and have been in effect since 1999.

Dangerous Offender (DO): An offender who has been convicted of a serious personal injury offence and who is usually sentenced to an indeterminate period of incarceration with periodic parole review.

Dispute Resolution: Dispute resolution options range along a continuum from collaborative, non-binding processes such as mediation to binding arbitration and litigation processes. They are not alternatives to, or opposed to, the litigation process. People attempting to resolve disputes can consider the range of dispute resolution options and select the one most appropriate to the situation.

Facilitated Planning Meeting: A voluntary, facilitated meeting that focuses on preparing a plan to ensure the safety of children who have been apprehended by social service agencies but whose parents are contesting the apprehension. The goal of the meeting, and its preceding orientation session, is to resolve as many issues as possible in a collaborative manner and reduce the number of cases going to contested hearings.

Family Justice Counselors (FJCs): FJCs are available in many areas to help families needing assistance with separation and divorce issues like child custody, access and guardianship, child and spousal support.

High-Risk Offender: Offenders who are defined as high-risk are those who have been assessed by Correctional and Probation Officers as presenting a high risk to re-offend. By screening offenders against factors that are predictive of re-offending, Corrections Branch in the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General identifies the offenders who require the most intervention (i.e., higher frequency of supervision and more programming).

Judicial Compensation Committee (JCC) / Judicial Justice of the Peace Compensation Committee (JJCC): The JCC is an independent committee appointed every three years in accordance with the Provincial Court Act to review and make recommendations to the Legislative Assembly on salaries, pensions and other benefits provided to Provincial Court Judges in B.C. The JJCC is a separate committee that makes recommendations on compensation for Judicial Justices of the Peace.

JUSTIN: An electronic, integrated case-tracking system used throughout the province and joining all members of the criminal justice system (police, Crown, judiciary, Court Services Branch and Corrections Branch).

Nisga’a Final Agreement Adjustment Project: The Treaty Negotiations Office operates an adjustment project for workers or small business owners who are negatively impacted as a direct result of the Nisga’a Final Agreement, and are not eligible for other provincial, federal or Nisga’a Lisims Government programs.

PRIME BC: An electronic records management system that will link all police department information across the province and improve the ability of police to solve major crime.