Justice: the CNFO calls on governments to address the overrepresentation of Black people in the justice system

Toronto, April 9, 2026 — The Coalition of Francophone Black People of Ontario (CNFO) held a press conference today attended by Radio-Canada, the newspaper La Presse de Toronto and CHOQ FM, to denounce the persistent overrepresentation of Black people in the Canadian justice system.

Drawing on the latest Statistics Canada reports (January and March 2026), the CNFO highlights alarming gaps: in Ontario, Black people account for 10.6% of accused persons while making up only 4.9% of the adult population, and their cases take an average of 54 more days to be processed.

"This is not just a matter of statistics: it is a matter of the future," said Julie Mbengi Lutete, president of the CNFO. "We demand concrete, measurable action."

The CNFO's key demands:

• Creation of a legal aid office dedicated to Francophone Black people
• Establishment of a permanent monitoring committee with accountability
• Collection of disaggregated data to document specific realities

The CNFO is also announcing a public consultation on April 24, 2026 to gather testimonies from the community.

👉 To learn more and read the full press release:
🌐 https://cnfo.org
🔗 LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/la-coalition-des-noirs-francophones-de-l-ontario-cnfo/?viewAsMember=true

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