New Brunswick’s court system is starting to use a new tool designed to make sentencing fairer for people of African descent. Specialized reports called impact of race and culture assessments are for judges to consider before they hand down sentences.
Impact of race and culture assessments are widely used in N.S., but relatively new to N.B.
Erica Butler · CBC News
· Posted: May 19, 2026 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago
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Defence lawyer Mathieu Boutet says the impact of race and culture assessments are helping fill gaps in information judges see before before sentencing. (Ian Bonnell/CBC)
When Edva Mascary pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in February, defence lawyer Mathieu Boutet asked for the usual pre-sentence report to help inform the judge about his client and help ensure the sentence was appropriate.
But Boutet also asked for another report to give the Moncton judge insight into his client’s life before sentencing him: an impact of race and culture assessment.
Mascary is Black, originally from Haiti, and has what Boutet describes as a “very, very difficult” background.
Boutet couldn’t share details of that background,
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