James V. Scott is a Canadian ordained minister in the

United Church of Canada The United Church of Canada (french: link=no, Église unie du Canada) is a mainline Protestant denomination that is the largest Protestant Christian denomination in Canada and the second largest Canadian Christian denomination after the Catholi ...

. Scott is known for advocating for reform of Canada's criminal justice system through collaborative and restorative justice, as well as for his role in the truth and reconciliation process with

Indigenous peoples in Canada In Canada, Indigenous groups comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Although ''Indian'' is a term still commonly used in legal documents, the descriptors ''Indian'' and ''Eskimo'' have fallen into disuse in Canada, and most consider them ...

. As the United Church General Council Officer for Residential Schools, he was tasked with implementing the 1986 and 1998 Apologies issued by the United Church regarding its role in the Canadian Indian residential school system, as well as representing the United Church in negotiations for the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and the

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC; french: Commission de vérité et réconciliation du Canada []) was a truth and reconciliation commission active in Canada from 2008 to 2015, organized by the parties of the Indian Reside ...

. For this work he was awarded two honorary doctorates, and inducted into the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

. In 2021, Scott received the Emmanuel Theological College Alumni/ae Service Award.

Early life and education

Scott attended Victoria College in the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

, graduating in 1973 with a BA in religious studies. He then pursued a Master of Divinity at

Emmanuel College, Toronto Emmanuel College is the theological college of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. Affiliated with the United Church of Canada, it is also a member institution of the Toronto School of Theology. The college's principal is HyeRan K ...

in the University of Toronto, graduating three years later in 1976. Scott was ordained by the United Church of Canada in the same year. After completing his graduate studies, he worked for four years in a pastoral ministry in

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

Career

Scott began to work on restorative justice activism in 1980. During the early 1980s, he actively campaigned against the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In 1985, an effort to reverse the 1976 abolition of the death penalty in Canada motivated Scott to coordinate a national campaign in opposition to the death penalty, until 1987 when the attempt to restore the death penalty was defeated in the

Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada (french: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Commons. By constitutional convention, the ...

. In 1998, Scott became the founding coordinator of the Collaborative Justice Project in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, which promotes the use of a restorative justice approach and methodologies in cases of serious crime. In addition to his work on collaborative and restorative justice, Scott has worked extensively on the Truth and Reconciliation process. From 2003 until 2015, he was the General Council Officer for Residential Schools for The United Church of Canada. He led the church in living out its Apologies of 1986 and 1998. In this capacity he was the lead national staff person representing the church in negotiations for the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement and in the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Scott's work has been cited in academic studies of the Truth and Reconciliation process, and in official reports on its findings. Scott retired in 2015. Since then, he has been awarded two honorary doctorates. In May 2017, he received an honorary doctorate from the United Theological College in Montreal, awarded for work relating to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The following year, he received an honorary doctorate from the

Vancouver School of Theology The Vancouver School of Theology is a ecumenical divinity school located on the campus of and formally affiliated with the University of British Columbia. VST is called to educate and form thoughtful, engaged and generous Christian leaders. Fac ...

for his "significant role in the recent Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada". In December 2019, Scott was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, which is the second highest rank in the second highest order for merit among the

orders, decorations, and medals of Canada The orders, decorations, and medals of Canada comprise a complex system by which Canadians are honoured by the country's sovereign for actions or deeds that benefit their community or the country at large. Modelled on its British predecessor, ...

. The award was given "for his leadership in advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in Canada and for his advocacy of restorative justice." In 2022, Scott was appointed to the Steering Committee for the Residential Schools National Monument by the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Awards and honours

*Honorary doctorate, United Theological College in Montreal (2017) *Honorary doctorate, Vancouver School of Theology (2018) *Officer of the Order of Canada (2019) *Emmanuel Theological College Alumni/ae Service Award (2021)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, James V. Living people Date of birth missing (living people) University of Toronto alumni Ministers of the United Church of Canada Canadian human rights activists 1949 births Officers of the Order of Canada