Bylaw problems

Nunavik communities are short of bylaw officers to enforce bylaws, and systems to handle the fines they do enforce.

“We’ve collected fines,” said council executive member Joseph Annahatak. “But we don’t know what to do with them.”

Annahatak suggested a manual for the region’s bylaw officers would also be useful.

“When you have bylaws, you have to put in place the means to enforce them,” said François Dorval, the director of the KRG’s legal department.

A request to fund a municipal court, which could assist in enforcing penalties, was turned down, the regional council learned.

But Dorval promised to re-start the request process for a traveling court that would hear cases involving municipal infractions.