Course Description
This course examines practical issues related to the consideration of social context evidence of systemic racism, including Impact of Race and Culture Assessments (IRCAs) and Enhanced Pre-Sentence Reports (EPSRs), in the sentencing of Black offenders. IRCAs and EPSRs connect systemic racism to individual offenders’ circumstances, aiding judges in crafting fair and proportionate sentences. The course outlines the role of social context evidence in sentencing, the content of IRCAs, and challenges such as report preparation. It also canvasses alternative methods for presenting social context evidence when IRCAs or EPSRs are unavailable.
The content of this course was updated in Spring 2026.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Department of Justice Canada.
