The new general counsel at the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) says that she will promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by addressing “over-representation” of black and Indigenous people in the criminal justice system.
Althea Francis, a long-time progressive prosecutor, was promoted to general counsel at the federal prosecution service’s Ontario office, giving her a major role in setting the legal policy of prosecutors.
In an interview with Canadian Lawyer magazine, Francis said tackling over-representation of racial minorities in the criminal justice system is top of mind for her.
“We do hold a significant power within the criminal justice system to influence the trajectory of someone’s life and how the overall perception of justice is seen, and we do have to be mindful of our own biases,” said Francis.
Francis also said she wants to build on her past DEI training work, including instruction on addressing unconscious bias, systemic racism, and pronouns, in the new role.
The PPSC is the independent body responsible for prosecuting federal crimes, mostly drug-related crimes and certain violations of the Criminal Code.
Francis has made DEI a top priority during her time at PPSC to date, chairing the Ontario office’s DEI and accessibility committee and receiving an award in 2019 for promoting DEI in the organization, organizing events on gender issues, race issues, unconscious bias, and more.
“Working in the space of equity, diversity and inclusion is the most rewarding for me,” said Francis.
“It’s about challenging your biases to think and rethink about how you view an accused person and to recognize when you’re sentencing an individual that you’re not just sentencing the bad parts of the individual. You’re sentencing the whole person.”
Francis went on to talk about how prosecutors ought to take into consideration the racial and socio-economic backgrounds of the people they prosecute, and how these traits ought to inform how these individuals are prosecuted.
“How do you ensure that when you go to look at a particular case, you’re taking into account the person and their socio-economic status? How do you balance the safety of the community with ensuring that you don’t perpetuate the stereotype?”
As general counsel at the PPSC Ontario division, Francis will work on high-profile, high-risk cases involving national security, cross-border prosecutions, and more.
