The Supreme Court of Canada has tossed an appeal from the child 'welfare' agency in favour of 'Justine.' Her lawyer says it's now 'the case that governs the issue in B.C.'

“In my heart, I knew I did nothing wrong,” Justine, an intergenerational survivor of both residential “school” and the child “welfare” system, told IndigiNews.

“I thought if I sit here and allow them to continue doing this to me, then they’re going to do this to my children and my children’s children.”

After a lengthy hearing, the tribunal found VACFSS — an Indigenous-led agency delegated by the provincial government to serve Indigenous families — had made decisions based on racial stereotypes and ordered it to pay her $150,000.

A series of appeals followed, at taxpayers’ expense, culminating with a decision in Justine’s favour released by the B.C. Court of Appeal in May 2025.