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December 11, 2025

New Indigenous Court in Chilliwack

VANCOUVER, B.C. - British Columbia’s tenth Indigenous sentencing court will open in Chilliwack in December 2025. Indigenous Courts currently operate in nine B.C. communities

• New Westminster First Nations Court  

• North Vancouver Chet wa nexwníw̓ ta S7eḵw’í7tel Indigenous Court 

• Kamloops Cknu'cwentn First Nations Sentencing Court  

• Duncan First Nations Court 

• Nicola Valley Indigenous Court  

• Prince George Indigenous Court  

• Williams Lake Indigenous Court 

• Hazelton Indigenous Court

• Lillooet Indigenous Court 

The Stó:lō people in S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō territory) invited the Provincial Court to work with them to develop an Indigenous sentencing court that could help address the overrepresentation of Indigenous people involved in the criminal justice system. The Chilliwack Indigenous Court will operate as a pilot Indigenous Sentencing Court.

The opening of the Chilliwack Indigenous Court is an important step toward community-driven solutions to justice that will meet the needs of Indigenous peoples charged in the Chilliwack court’s jurisdiction or whose files are transferred to that court. Indigenous courts use a holistic, restorative approach to sentencing, and the Indigenous person takes responsibility for their actions. Indigenous Elders who have completed a program of orientation give advice on a healing plan. The healing plan may then be incorporated as part of a sentence for the Indigenous person. 

This court is opening because of the hard work and collaboration between the Stó:lō people in S’ólh Téméxw, local community members, service providers, Court Services Branch, the Ministry of the Attorney General, BC First Nations Justice Council, the Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of BC, Legal Aid BC, RCMP, Crown counsel, Victim Services, BC Corrections, Correctional Service of Canada and other partners. This court will work with Elders to apply Indigenous healing principles.

The Provincial Court also invites everyone to read its Reconciliation Framework for more information about advancing reconciliation. 

- Melissa Gillespie, Chief Judge, Provincial Court of British Columbia