Canadians divided on whether the justice system is fair for everyone: survey

A Canadian flag. (CTV News)

A new survey conducted by Research. Co found Canadians are divided on whether the justice system is fair for everyone.

According to Research Co., 45 per cent of the 1,000 Canadians who were surveyed agreed the justice system treats every person fairly, while 43 per cent of people disagreed and 12 per cent said they were undecided.

Just over half (51 per cent) of Canadians aged 18 to 34 are more likely to question the integrity of the justice system than those aged 35 to 54 (46 per cent) and aged 55 and over (38 per cent).

A lower percentage of Canadians (37 per cent) said Canada’s prison system does a good job rehabilitating prisoners so they become law-abiding citizens.

More than two in five respondents support the use of penalties such as fines, probation, or community service as an alternative to jail time for cases of credit card fraud (46 per cent) and online harassment or cyberbullying (45 per cent).

But when it comes to dealing with people convicted of drunk driving and arson, fewer people support those alternatives—38 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively.

Breaking down the data by province, 53 per cent of people in Saskatchewan and Manitoba as well as 48 per cent of Quebec residents are the most supportive of penalties other than jail for people convicted of online harassment.

However, 44 per cent of people in both Alberta and Ontario and 39 per cent in both British Columbia and Atlantic Canada support the alternative penalty approach.

“There is a gender divide when Canadians assess alternative penalties instead of prison for drunk drivers,” Research Co. president Mario Canseco said in a news release published on Wednesday. “Men are more likely to endorse fines, probation or community service (42 per cent) than women (33 per cent).”

Research Co. also asked respondents how they felt about three elements of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Sixty-nine per cent of people said they agree with letting non-violent, first-time offenders who are unlikely to re-offend to avoid a trial by “taking part in programs of extrajudicial sanctions.” The same percentage of people agreed to the possibility of finding parents in contempt of court if they do not attend hearings or participate in the legal process for their child, and 67 per cent said it’s only ok to disclose the identity of the youths who have been charged under special circumstances.

Just under half of Canadians (48 per cent) said they were in favour of the provision establishing that no person can be convicted of an offence while he or she is under the age of 12 years.

Additionally, a survey conducted by Nanos for CTV News in January 2023 found satisfaction with Canada as a country continues to decline.

According to the survey, about two in three (64 per cent) Canadians said they are satisfied with Canada as a country—a decrease compared to 2021.

The Nanos survey also found Canadians aged 18 to 34 reported the lowest level of satisfaction with Canada as a country compared to all other demographics—especially Canadians aged 55 and older—who reported the highest satisfaction level.

Research Co. methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from April 7 to April 9, 2023, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error, which measures sample variability, is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.

Nanos methodology: Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land- and cell- lines) hybrid telephone and online random survey of 1,054 Canadians, 18 years of age or older, between January 27th to 30th, 2023. The margin of error for this survey is ±3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20

Reporting for this story was paid for through The Afghan Journalists in Residence Project funded by Meta.