Canadian court finds Montreal police engaged in systemic racial profiling

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) – A high court in the Canadian province of Quebec ruled against the Montreal police service and the City of Montreal over systemic racial profiling, a local media report said Tuesday.

CTV News said Quebec Superior Court decided to award C$5,000 ($3,690) in punitive damages to anyone unlawfully stopped or questioned by Montreal police based on their ethnic origin between 2017 and 2019.

The 100-page ruling by Justice Dominique Poulin confirmed the existence of systemic racial profiling within the Montreal police, holding both the police force and the city accountable.

According to the report, a lawsuit was brought forward by the Montreal Black Coalition after a 2017 incident where a man was violently arrested outside a bar on St-Jacques Street.

The affected individuals are primarily from Black, Arabic, Latino and Indigenous communities.

"As the first administration to recognize the existence of systemic racism, we will continue to work with all our partners and public organizations in Montreal to ensure that every citizen feels safe and enjoys the same rights," the City of Montreal told CTV news.