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By Judge John Reilly: Bad Medicine: A Judge's Struggle for Justice in a First Nations Community
Early in his career, Judge John Reilly did everything by the book. His jurisdiction included a First Nations community plagued by suicide, addiction, poverty, violence and corruption. He steadily handed out prison sentences with little regard for long-term consequences and even less knowledge as to why crime was so rampant on the reserve in the first place.In an unprecedented move that pitted him against his superiors, the legal system he was part of, and one of Canada s best-known Indian chiefs, the Reverend Dr. Chief John Snow, Judge Reilly ordered an investigation into the tragic and corrupt conditions on the reserve. A flurry of media attention ensued. Some labelled him a racist; others thought he should be removed from his post, claiming he had lost his objectivity. But many on the Stoney Reserve hailed him a hero as he attempted to uncover the dark challenges and difficult history many First Nations communities face.At a time when government is proposing new tough on crime legislation, Judge Reilly provides an enlightening and timely perspective. He shows us why harsher punishments for offenders don t necessarily make our societies safer, why the white justice system is failing First Nations communities, why jail time is not the cure-all answer some think it to be, and how corruption continues to plague tribal leadership.
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First published January 1, 2010
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May 23, 2016
Tbh, I doubt that there's a single good book that employs the 'white man selflessly seeking justice for others' narrative. But if so, it's definitely not this one. ("I think that my name, John, is appropriate. I often feel like John the Baptist - a voice crying in the wilderness.")
Firstly, it doesn't explain the legal argument Reilly makes wrt 718.2(e) of the Criminal Code. Really, its exploration of how Canadian law has failed & victimized FN people and communities is pretty cursory. Reilly spends more time quoting articles that praise him and his actions than anything else. I find it particularly strange that in his discovery of restorative justice, he never once considers the criticisms/limitations of such an approach. Apparently, back in 2011, he made some idiotic comments on sexual assault in the context of his vision of restorative justice and I can see the mindset that produced those comments in this book, i.e. on being confronted with a domestic violence case: "My initial reaction was that the prosecutor's office must not have had enough work to do if they were dredging up domestic abuse cases going back so far." I mean... what?
Secondly, it's basically a gossipy kind of self-aggrandizing (I know I use this word a lot re: lawyers, but honestly, lawyers...) memoir? The white saviour vibe ("Here I was, the local judge, presiding over hundreds of cases involving their people, offering to help them help their people, and they just 'blew me off.'"), his near-constant invocation of the fact that his father was friends with John Laurie, and tbh, the racism (the bit where he denigrates a woman as a "morbidly obese little woman who was said to have a Grade 4 education. It is possible she didn't even know how to read. It is likely that Philomene’s election as chief was due in large part to money paid out by her father [...] It was easy to imagine that John Snow could control Philomene Stevens’s vote. From my observation of her, she must have thought she was sitting next to God himself when she sat next to John Snow.").... Classic example of someone who is less enlightened than they think they are.
I don't mean to dismiss the problems he raises, or the support he's gotten from members of Stoney Tribe but it's really hard not to conclude that the book offers very little of value. I think judges should have agendas and I think that they should care about the communities that they are serving in but besides seeming very narcissistic, Reilly seems to frame the world in this very literal good vs evil way which makes it very difficult to take him seriously as a person, as an advocate, and as a judge.
Firstly, it doesn't explain the legal argument Reilly makes wrt 718.2(e) of the Criminal Code. Really, its exploration of how Canadian law has failed & victimized FN people and communities is pretty cursory. Reilly spends more time quoting articles that praise him and his actions than anything else. I find it particularly strange that in his discovery of restorative justice, he never once considers the criticisms/limitations of such an approach. Apparently, back in 2011, he made some idiotic comments on sexual assault in the context of his vision of restorative justice and I can see the mindset that produced those comments in this book, i.e. on being confronted with a domestic violence case: "My initial reaction was that the prosecutor's office must not have had enough work to do if they were dredging up domestic abuse cases going back so far." I mean... what?
Secondly, it's basically a gossipy kind of self-aggrandizing (I know I use this word a lot re: lawyers, but honestly, lawyers...) memoir? The white saviour vibe ("Here I was, the local judge, presiding over hundreds of cases involving their people, offering to help them help their people, and they just 'blew me off.'"), his near-constant invocation of the fact that his father was friends with John Laurie, and tbh, the racism (the bit where he denigrates a woman as a "morbidly obese little woman who was said to have a Grade 4 education. It is possible she didn't even know how to read. It is likely that Philomene’s election as chief was due in large part to money paid out by her father [...] It was easy to imagine that John Snow could control Philomene Stevens’s vote. From my observation of her, she must have thought she was sitting next to God himself when she sat next to John Snow.").... Classic example of someone who is less enlightened than they think they are.
I don't mean to dismiss the problems he raises, or the support he's gotten from members of Stoney Tribe but it's really hard not to conclude that the book offers very little of value. I think judges should have agendas and I think that they should care about the communities that they are serving in but besides seeming very narcissistic, Reilly seems to frame the world in this very literal good vs evil way which makes it very difficult to take him seriously as a person, as an advocate, and as a judge.
October 20, 2015
Firstly, let me explain my rating. I would say this is not the most well written book I have ever read. I would say it should be considered more like a cross between a judge's rulings on a court decision, a literature review and an op-ed. Based strictly on writing style, I would give it a 2 out of 5. Based on value and importance of the content (which in my opinion is not degraded by the writing style), I would give it a 5 out of 5. I will split the difference and give it a 3.5 out of 5, but rounded up to 4 for Goodreads.
Secondly, I would recommend this to anyone who says, "I don't get what the big deal is! We are all just human beings right?" or my personal favourite "They should get over it; I didn't do anything wrong!". Quite simply, that is an incredibly insensitive and reductionist view. Most Aboriginal people I've met do not want non-Aboriginals to carry a generalized feeling of self-loathing for something they didn't activity set out to do (a: Be born a certain race and b: be born into certain socio-economic circumstances they can take no credit for), unlike my some of fellow Christianized Whities, they do not adhere to the "Eye for an Eye" for the most part. But in order to cultivate a healthy community, and I am specifically talking about Alberta here because that is where I am local, non-Aboriginals need to own and take responsibility for our history
"There are those who will say that this is history and the non-Aboriginal Canadians of today should not be responsible for the wrongs of our ancestors. To these people I say that we are still enjoying what our ancestors took from these people, and we should take responsibility for what they did to these people." pg 138.
I could further quote large portions of chapters 14 and 15 because there are very clear explanations of why we see such social degradation on Reserves.
So, a very public warning to my fellow humans: The next human of European decent to give me shit for drinking non-ethically sourced coffee beans having purchased said coffee beans with income earned from Oil and Gas production in Alberta is going to get a severe verbal ass kicking from yours truly. Fair warning.
Lastly, I learned from reading "Allah, Liberty and Love" by Irshad Manji that non-Muslims fear challenging negative behaviours within Islam for fear of being labelled racist and how this contributes to further misunderstanding and oppression. This same fear is true of non-Aboriginals challenging negative behaviours within Aboriginal communities, for which John Reilly was accused, which only enforced the reality of the "new Indian Agent" leaving the average reserve resident no means of justice.
"...there are two conflicting political philosophies, each called tribal custom. The genuine brand of tribal custom has been passed down to us by our elders and carriers the gentle wisdom of centuries of life together in communities. The other is a concoction by government bureaucracy deaf to the true teaching of our elders. This brand elevates control to the level of Almighty God. It has grown to be a manual for corruption and the destruction of human dignity. This is the system that dictates life on our reserve today." John Robinson Twoyoungmen pg. 188
Secondly, I would recommend this to anyone who says, "I don't get what the big deal is! We are all just human beings right?" or my personal favourite "They should get over it; I didn't do anything wrong!". Quite simply, that is an incredibly insensitive and reductionist view. Most Aboriginal people I've met do not want non-Aboriginals to carry a generalized feeling of self-loathing for something they didn't activity set out to do (a: Be born a certain race and b: be born into certain socio-economic circumstances they can take no credit for), unlike my some of fellow Christianized Whities, they do not adhere to the "Eye for an Eye" for the most part. But in order to cultivate a healthy community, and I am specifically talking about Alberta here because that is where I am local, non-Aboriginals need to own and take responsibility for our history
"There are those who will say that this is history and the non-Aboriginal Canadians of today should not be responsible for the wrongs of our ancestors. To these people I say that we are still enjoying what our ancestors took from these people, and we should take responsibility for what they did to these people." pg 138.
I could further quote large portions of chapters 14 and 15 because there are very clear explanations of why we see such social degradation on Reserves.
So, a very public warning to my fellow humans: The next human of European decent to give me shit for drinking non-ethically sourced coffee beans having purchased said coffee beans with income earned from Oil and Gas production in Alberta is going to get a severe verbal ass kicking from yours truly. Fair warning.
Lastly, I learned from reading "Allah, Liberty and Love" by Irshad Manji that non-Muslims fear challenging negative behaviours within Islam for fear of being labelled racist and how this contributes to further misunderstanding and oppression. This same fear is true of non-Aboriginals challenging negative behaviours within Aboriginal communities, for which John Reilly was accused, which only enforced the reality of the "new Indian Agent" leaving the average reserve resident no means of justice.
"...there are two conflicting political philosophies, each called tribal custom. The genuine brand of tribal custom has been passed down to us by our elders and carriers the gentle wisdom of centuries of life together in communities. The other is a concoction by government bureaucracy deaf to the true teaching of our elders. This brand elevates control to the level of Almighty God. It has grown to be a manual for corruption and the destruction of human dignity. This is the system that dictates life on our reserve today." John Robinson Twoyoungmen pg. 188
May 31, 2021
There's just something about a white man writing about his attempt to save Indigenous peoples from themselves that doesn't sit right with me.
I will give credit where credit is due. I think that for when this book was published Reilly was able to express some mildly interesting takes, and I do commend him for taking the time to learn about the people he worked with and had to judge, or remove their freedom as he put it. However, this is where my praise ends. The stylistic nature of the book was quite simple, and felt very disjointed to me. I think the later half of the book was more successful in showing nuance and an actual analysis, but the first half to me felt like it was formulated out of Reilly's white guilt, and a need to be seen as a saviour within the Stoney community. The fact that he kept bringing up his relation to John Laurie was strange to me, and felt like over compensation. I understand being a part of the community, and participating in ceremony etc but at the end of the day this is a white man dictating what is best for an Indigenous community, and becoming the face of movement that he should have never been heading in the first place.
Along with the overall tone of the book, there were some specific instances where I think Reilly's guilt or internalised biases become evident. There are points in the book where he calls survivors of domestic abuse "pathetic" looking, he calls a woman that works with Snow "obese" despite the fact that her weight has nothing to do with her purpose in the book, besides to look like a villain. Even later in the book when Reilly is describing the new superintendent, who is white, he calls her attractive because of her looks, and because of her passion for education. The difference in his description of Indigenous peoples, even if he was challenging their problematic behaviour, differed completely of his description of white people throughout the book. To me this only showed Reilly's bias, again conscious or not, to portray himself as the saviour within the "noble savage" myth that permeates much of white written Indigenous literature.
Furthermore, the author heavily critiques Snow for using the Stoney people to boost his social and financial status, with citing Snow's greed and eventually adding some nuance by speaking to the lasting effects of the Indian Agent's processes on reserves as to why Snow behaves this way. So my question remains, what sort of reciprocity or reparations were apart of Reilly's book? Although this is "his" story about trying to introduce some restorative justice to the Indigenous community, which to me just feels like white saviourism and a lot of self involvement, but his story often intersects with other peoples journey of sobriety, family trauma etc. Were reparations given to these family for Reilly telling their story? There is no mention of that in the book, so I really cannot say, but if not it really seems like a white guy sharing trauma porn to make himself feel better about the problematic behaviour he engaged in he before his so called journey of self discovery.
The past 10 or so years since this book has been written has been a time of social change, so I would be very interested to read some of Reilly's newer books to see how his analysis or thoughts may have changed. I do not think Reilly is a horrible person, it is obvious that he cares deeply for the people he worked with and for, however, the overall tone of the story is very self involved. Restorative justice is a an extremely important topic, especially considering all the intergenerational trauma that Reilly really only begins to unpack in this book, but at the end of the day it seems weird to centre the story of reformative justice in a First Nations community around a white man.
I will give credit where credit is due. I think that for when this book was published Reilly was able to express some mildly interesting takes, and I do commend him for taking the time to learn about the people he worked with and had to judge, or remove their freedom as he put it. However, this is where my praise ends. The stylistic nature of the book was quite simple, and felt very disjointed to me. I think the later half of the book was more successful in showing nuance and an actual analysis, but the first half to me felt like it was formulated out of Reilly's white guilt, and a need to be seen as a saviour within the Stoney community. The fact that he kept bringing up his relation to John Laurie was strange to me, and felt like over compensation. I understand being a part of the community, and participating in ceremony etc but at the end of the day this is a white man dictating what is best for an Indigenous community, and becoming the face of movement that he should have never been heading in the first place.
Along with the overall tone of the book, there were some specific instances where I think Reilly's guilt or internalised biases become evident. There are points in the book where he calls survivors of domestic abuse "pathetic" looking, he calls a woman that works with Snow "obese" despite the fact that her weight has nothing to do with her purpose in the book, besides to look like a villain. Even later in the book when Reilly is describing the new superintendent, who is white, he calls her attractive because of her looks, and because of her passion for education. The difference in his description of Indigenous peoples, even if he was challenging their problematic behaviour, differed completely of his description of white people throughout the book. To me this only showed Reilly's bias, again conscious or not, to portray himself as the saviour within the "noble savage" myth that permeates much of white written Indigenous literature.
Furthermore, the author heavily critiques Snow for using the Stoney people to boost his social and financial status, with citing Snow's greed and eventually adding some nuance by speaking to the lasting effects of the Indian Agent's processes on reserves as to why Snow behaves this way. So my question remains, what sort of reciprocity or reparations were apart of Reilly's book? Although this is "his" story about trying to introduce some restorative justice to the Indigenous community, which to me just feels like white saviourism and a lot of self involvement, but his story often intersects with other peoples journey of sobriety, family trauma etc. Were reparations given to these family for Reilly telling their story? There is no mention of that in the book, so I really cannot say, but if not it really seems like a white guy sharing trauma porn to make himself feel better about the problematic behaviour he engaged in he before his so called journey of self discovery.
The past 10 or so years since this book has been written has been a time of social change, so I would be very interested to read some of Reilly's newer books to see how his analysis or thoughts may have changed. I do not think Reilly is a horrible person, it is obvious that he cares deeply for the people he worked with and for, however, the overall tone of the story is very self involved. Restorative justice is a an extremely important topic, especially considering all the intergenerational trauma that Reilly really only begins to unpack in this book, but at the end of the day it seems weird to centre the story of reformative justice in a First Nations community around a white man.
May 9, 2018
There was some definite repetitiveness but overall informative of conditions at Morley a d the lack of support or willingness of government to investigate the suggested corruption of the leadership and ways to improve the transparency to prevent corruption and truly help the people.
March 12, 2024
bad law was perspective-altering; as a prequel, bad medicine is still good, but doesn’t evoke the same feeling. much more about the actual cases he worked on than his vision for restorative justice. good lead up to the next book, though!
January 8, 2016
This book comes with varying reviews - some do not like John Reilly and think this book is designed to make him look good, and some think this book shares the truth about someone who stood up for the people of the Stoney Nakoda Nation. I think it is both! While this book only shares Judge Reilly's perspective, in my experience working with aboriginal youth, I think what he tried to do was right. Sadly, there is a vast difference of life on a reserve and life in the city and Judge Reilly was willing to say he believed the corruption and circumstances on the reserve were the cause of a lot of crime, poverty and abuse. I think this is worth a read for anyone, we cannot believe that aboriginals should just "get over it" and move on, their struggles are much more complicated than that!
November 27, 2018
Albertan Author! Canadian Publisher!
What is the purpose of the justice system? Is it retribution? Deterrence? Reparations? Rehabilitation? If it is all of these, are they equally weighted or are some more important than others? What do we hope to achieve with the way our justice system is currently configured? Would you be willing to sacrifice punishment and retribution if it was unequivocally proven that rehabilitation was more effective in decreasing crime, and creating and maintaining a just, peaceful society?
When Judge John Reilly was first assigned to the Cochrane/Canmore/Banff Provincial Court circuit of Alberta, Canada, a circuit which includes the Stoney First Nation Reserve, he didn't give any thought to these questions. He followed the precedents set out before him by earlier justices without quibble or question, sending repeat offenders back and back in an endless cycle of crime and incarceration until he has a come-to-Jesus moment in the cemetery of the reserve his circuit services. Surrounded by the graves of Stoney First Nation youths killed by suicide, drugs, and alcohol abuse, he realizes the flaws in the way he has been administrating justice up to that point. As he states in Bad Medicine, people learn what they live and live what they learn. Conditions on the Stoney reserve - indeed on many reserves throughout Canada - are catastrophically dysfunctional. The leadership and elites are incredibly wealthy. The rest live in grinding poverty. They lack the most basic resources, education, or prospects for change. There are little to no outside avenues to address corruption or mismanagement and any aboriginals who have tried to improve their lives and the lives of those around them have been at best ignored and at worst punished by the dictators controlling every aspect of reserve life. To the Judge's credit, when it dawns on him just how bad conditions are on the Stoney reserve and why so many of the offenders standing before him are aboriginal, he does something about it. He orders an investigation into the corrupt conditions on the reserve. The ensuing broo-ha-ha ignites a media storm that puts Judge Reilly, the Stoney First Nation, and their Chief the Reverend Dr. Chief John Snow in the headlines of almost every major newspaper in Canada and not a few in the States. It's Judge Reilly's hope that this investigation will spark the lasting changes the community he has come to love so desperately needs. A must-read for anyone who wants to know more about Canada's legal system, and the challenges facing the First Nations communities it serves.
What is the purpose of the justice system? Is it retribution? Deterrence? Reparations? Rehabilitation? If it is all of these, are they equally weighted or are some more important than others? What do we hope to achieve with the way our justice system is currently configured? Would you be willing to sacrifice punishment and retribution if it was unequivocally proven that rehabilitation was more effective in decreasing crime, and creating and maintaining a just, peaceful society?
When Judge John Reilly was first assigned to the Cochrane/Canmore/Banff Provincial Court circuit of Alberta, Canada, a circuit which includes the Stoney First Nation Reserve, he didn't give any thought to these questions. He followed the precedents set out before him by earlier justices without quibble or question, sending repeat offenders back and back in an endless cycle of crime and incarceration until he has a come-to-Jesus moment in the cemetery of the reserve his circuit services. Surrounded by the graves of Stoney First Nation youths killed by suicide, drugs, and alcohol abuse, he realizes the flaws in the way he has been administrating justice up to that point. As he states in Bad Medicine, people learn what they live and live what they learn. Conditions on the Stoney reserve - indeed on many reserves throughout Canada - are catastrophically dysfunctional. The leadership and elites are incredibly wealthy. The rest live in grinding poverty. They lack the most basic resources, education, or prospects for change. There are little to no outside avenues to address corruption or mismanagement and any aboriginals who have tried to improve their lives and the lives of those around them have been at best ignored and at worst punished by the dictators controlling every aspect of reserve life. To the Judge's credit, when it dawns on him just how bad conditions are on the Stoney reserve and why so many of the offenders standing before him are aboriginal, he does something about it. He orders an investigation into the corrupt conditions on the reserve. The ensuing broo-ha-ha ignites a media storm that puts Judge Reilly, the Stoney First Nation, and their Chief the Reverend Dr. Chief John Snow in the headlines of almost every major newspaper in Canada and not a few in the States. It's Judge Reilly's hope that this investigation will spark the lasting changes the community he has come to love so desperately needs. A must-read for anyone who wants to know more about Canada's legal system, and the challenges facing the First Nations communities it serves.
September 6, 2022
Mr. Reilly truly does care about the Stoney First Nation but he also cares an awful lot about his own image and family connections.
He is a judge and acknowledges that repeated sentences could sometimes be replaced with mental health and addiction services supported by the FN culture of healing and reparation. But, sometimes that does not help and a repeat offender can continue beating multiple women and even other women will abet that behaviour allowing a son or brother to carry on while contributing to the isolation and control of the victims. No mystery as to why some women have to escape the reserve to have any hope of safety.
The book also helps explain how a chief is able to have absolute control over finances on a reserve and can divert funds to himself and his friends leaving less for education and other supports for others. An example given was an offender who was making headway with his addictions and then an arbitrary decision was made to refuse to spend any more band resources on his treatment that was working even while the band was receiving a generous income. Sadly much of that income was going to the chief and his friends and not benefitting everyone equally.
An example from a Calgary Herald article of the same time ".... Chief Ernest Wesley with a pay packet of $241,493 and expenses of $97,171 " and this while others of the same band got $15,000 to live on.
No wonder there is despair on some reserves. If you are living on next to nothing, not enough of millions of dollars of band income is being used for your education etc and you see others on your reserve living very well indeed it can only make you angry and resentful. For women it also means all that anger and hopelessness may lead to you being beaten repeatedly.
A book worth reading but I finished it sincerely hoping this was an isolated set of circumstances and not a depiction of what is happening on other reserves as such a life of despair is a true tragedy and can only have ongoing negative consequences for all of us. However, without accountability and transparency for FN leadership - it could be common.
It is that failure to include any kind of analysis as to how isolated this example is or, alternatively, how widespread that left it at 2 stars. We all want better for those FN living in these conditions but we need to know if they are the minority and we only hear about the negatives or if they are the majority and that means systemic change is necessary in the way FN govern themselves as just providing more money without that change is not going to make a difference.
He is a judge and acknowledges that repeated sentences could sometimes be replaced with mental health and addiction services supported by the FN culture of healing and reparation. But, sometimes that does not help and a repeat offender can continue beating multiple women and even other women will abet that behaviour allowing a son or brother to carry on while contributing to the isolation and control of the victims. No mystery as to why some women have to escape the reserve to have any hope of safety.
The book also helps explain how a chief is able to have absolute control over finances on a reserve and can divert funds to himself and his friends leaving less for education and other supports for others. An example given was an offender who was making headway with his addictions and then an arbitrary decision was made to refuse to spend any more band resources on his treatment that was working even while the band was receiving a generous income. Sadly much of that income was going to the chief and his friends and not benefitting everyone equally.
An example from a Calgary Herald article of the same time ".... Chief Ernest Wesley with a pay packet of $241,493 and expenses of $97,171 " and this while others of the same band got $15,000 to live on.
No wonder there is despair on some reserves. If you are living on next to nothing, not enough of millions of dollars of band income is being used for your education etc and you see others on your reserve living very well indeed it can only make you angry and resentful. For women it also means all that anger and hopelessness may lead to you being beaten repeatedly.
A book worth reading but I finished it sincerely hoping this was an isolated set of circumstances and not a depiction of what is happening on other reserves as such a life of despair is a true tragedy and can only have ongoing negative consequences for all of us. However, without accountability and transparency for FN leadership - it could be common.
It is that failure to include any kind of analysis as to how isolated this example is or, alternatively, how widespread that left it at 2 stars. We all want better for those FN living in these conditions but we need to know if they are the minority and we only hear about the negatives or if they are the majority and that means systemic change is necessary in the way FN govern themselves as just providing more money without that change is not going to make a difference.
September 3, 2022
Don’t you love it when you pick a good book you didn’t know you wanted prior. I really liked this book as john Reilly does a good job of educating you on details of life on the reservation. I definitely wanna find more books which the whole focus is that. It’s definitely a one sided book and you don’t get to hear the chiefs perspective but I think it gives you a lot to think about on justice with indigenous people
August 27, 2023
I enjoyed the book because it gave me perspective of life in an area I just traveled. It was somewhat dry for me yet it was informative. Im not legally minded which this book was oriented yet it also discussed the realities of the court system in relation to the communities and how important services were to help.
March 25, 2024
Read this for a book report, and while I have a fair amount to say on the way the book was written I think what John Reilly did was ahead of its time for everything else that was going on, but the way this book was written was not it.
May 5, 2017
In terms of expanding my knowledge of unconscionable treatment of our First Nations and the repercussions right up to present day this was this most eye opening book I've read. Highly recommend.
April 17, 2018
Interesting book that all Canadians should read.
September 20, 2019
Pretty readable. Glad I read it. Would recommend.
May 26, 2021
great read on indigenous issues
October 21, 2021
It is scary the plight of our natives and the shrugging of shoulders of our politicians currently in these times reconciliation.
March 2, 2025
Another guy who doesn't think residential schools were real...GREAT!
June 9, 2025
Few good chapters and I like the talk of greed within powerful people. But I was honestly lost on the timeline of these events. Few good lines and I would recommend because I think having the knowledge of the systematic oppression Indigenous people face is important but I think I’m not a non-fiction reader.
April 23, 2019
This book has mixed reviews. I believe the book achieves its overt and intended purpose, which is raising awareness to the societal conditions of Canadian reserves, the corruption by some elected Chiefs, the ways in which the Criminal Justice System does not come close to achieving "justice" for Indigenous peoples... and ultimately how the legacies of colonialism create and sustain the above mentioned phenomena.
As for people commenting that Reilly wrote this book to make himself "look good"... I don't think there is anyway to prove or disprove these judgements. I don't think that a Judge would put their career and reputation on the line (as described) to simply "look good" to widespread society seeing as the series of acts that Reilly took in fact, made him look unfavorably to various actors within the Criminal Justice System. Though, I really think this argument deviates from the intended purpose. John Reilly held a position of power within a system that oppresses and displaces Indigenous and other populations to maintain the status quo. Reilly used his position of power to speak again systemic discrimination. This move on Reilly's part was rather effective, even if he did not achieve most of his intended purposes, because he created counter discourse to the dominant ways in which Indigenous peoples and the Criminal Justice System (and widespread society) interact.
The only critique I have was how Reilly rigidly focused on Snow without a concurrent detailed analysis or exploration of other reserves that experience similar corruption. With such a broad analysis of systematic discrimination attributed to colonialism, I believe it would have been helpful for the reader to learn of similar stories happening in other Canadian locations. Although, he did touch on this briefly and ultimately, this is John Reilly's story to tell. He used his position of power for advocacy regardless of the repurcussions, and he spoke from his own experience in writing Bad Medicine; for that I rate this book 5/5.
As for people commenting that Reilly wrote this book to make himself "look good"... I don't think there is anyway to prove or disprove these judgements. I don't think that a Judge would put their career and reputation on the line (as described) to simply "look good" to widespread society seeing as the series of acts that Reilly took in fact, made him look unfavorably to various actors within the Criminal Justice System. Though, I really think this argument deviates from the intended purpose. John Reilly held a position of power within a system that oppresses and displaces Indigenous and other populations to maintain the status quo. Reilly used his position of power to speak again systemic discrimination. This move on Reilly's part was rather effective, even if he did not achieve most of his intended purposes, because he created counter discourse to the dominant ways in which Indigenous peoples and the Criminal Justice System (and widespread society) interact.
The only critique I have was how Reilly rigidly focused on Snow without a concurrent detailed analysis or exploration of other reserves that experience similar corruption. With such a broad analysis of systematic discrimination attributed to colonialism, I believe it would have been helpful for the reader to learn of similar stories happening in other Canadian locations. Although, he did touch on this briefly and ultimately, this is John Reilly's story to tell. He used his position of power for advocacy regardless of the repurcussions, and he spoke from his own experience in writing Bad Medicine; for that I rate this book 5/5.
January 4, 2011
Early in his career, John Reilly was the judge who had the primary jurisdiction over the Stoney Indian Reserve at Morley, Alberta just west of Calgary. After many years of simply applying the law without question, he made a promise in 1996 to 'make my court accessible, understandable and effective for the Stoney people". To do this he had to learn as much as he could about them and in doing so he became aware of the 'frightening dysfunction that plagues this reserve and is often typical of reserves across Canada'. He believes that the legal system and society should deal with the underlying causes of crime rather than punishing the results of those underlying causes. To this end, the book outlines how he pitted himself against one of Canada's best known Indian Chiefs, Reverend Dr. Chief John Snow, by ordering an investigation into the corrupt conditions on the reserve. He brings details to light by countless sources and characters and this book makes for an excellent read. It spurred me into writing both levels of government to press them on his behalf. Everyone in Canada should read this book to better understand the situation of our Native people.
October 25, 2011
Wowza. Brave battle, brave man. This guy got some bad press awhile back for makeing a poor choice for an example when interviewed on the radio. Now having read the book, I understand what he was trying to say. I believe this book would make alot of people change their take on a few things (ie. how they "see" aboriginal people) and that there is a "solution" to the "problem", while being multi-layered, is infact, do-able. We're just missing the desire because it will be hard and before that even, it must be aknowledged that there IS a problem. The average population doesn't get it. I didn't..I still don't completely but I'm better informed now. Judge Reilly lays it out in easy to understand terms and even goes as far as to lay out the ways to make it better. We're all supposed to be equal in Canada, given the same opportunities..but it isn't true.
April 19, 2014
Holy Crap! I had no idea of the conditions on the Stoney First Nation only 30 minutes from where I live. It appears that Judge John Reilly did everything in his power-and some outside his power-to bring attention and support to the community at Morley. What is equally clear is the the governments-Provincial and Federal-regardless of which party was in power-have ignored the crisis in all our First Nations. It is clear that the Federal government is more concerned about conditions in third world countries and oblivious to horrific conditions in Canada. And, the Provincial and Federal governments pass responsibility back and forth without any accountability.
The writing is at times tedious and repetitive, but the message is so startling that you move past the needed editing to the next revelation of a tragedy in our own country.
A startling and compelling read.
The writing is at times tedious and repetitive, but the message is so startling that you move past the needed editing to the next revelation of a tragedy in our own country.
A startling and compelling read.
February 11, 2015
A good deal less interesting than his previous effort The book comes off as a little bit of a "tell-all expose" of what the author feels is injustice more so levelled at him than at First Nation populations. I was also a little frustrated at how many times he'd say something like "so and so either disagreed with me or didn't fully understand the argument I was making. I think it was the latter." Well, okay, maybe it's time to reconsider?
Don't get me wrong, I thought Bad Medicine was an engaging and informative look at First Nations community and their relationship with the justice system, I just thought this book fell flat as a follow-up effort.
Don't get me wrong, I thought Bad Medicine was an engaging and informative look at First Nations community and their relationship with the justice system, I just thought this book fell flat as a follow-up effort.
June 9, 2012
I wasn't a big fan of the writing style (often repetitive, sometimes awkward with the many segments of legislation worked in), but I am nevertheless very glad to have read this book. I'm embarrassed to say how little I knew about a community that's only 30 minutes away. I think many Canadians (myself included) are dimly aware of the appalling conditions on reserves, and are troubled by them, but really have no idea what can be done. John Reilly offers a very insightful perspective and some carefully considered suggestions.
November 14, 2011
Very interesting to look at the aboriginal justice and political systems from a sociological perspective where more support is needed. I am not a stranger to witnessing political corruption and helplessness in my own community. It was very heart-warming to know that there is someone who cares and who could push those boundaries in trying to make changes for the betterment of aboriginal people. Interesting read.
January 3, 2013
This is an excellent read for anyone involved with First Nations, Aboriginal, or Indian people especially in a legal setting. Judge Reilly wrestles with the impact of black letter law on a community which fundamentally experiences the law as a foreign concept as structured. The writing is stark, personal and comes from first hand observation of a community struggling with the impact of colonialism.
February 7, 2016
I really enjoyed Judge Reilly's first book "Bad Medicine" and thought this would be a good follow up on the judicial side of story. This book focused more on Judge Reilly's own personal judicial matters with the Chief Judge's office and a little less on the aboriginal side of the story. The context of the book was good, and luckily I am quite familiar with the Canadian legal process - if you have little understanding of the judicial process, this might be a little confusing and dry.
March 6, 2013
I would love it if everyone read this book as it gives some very important insights into Indigenous people and the justice system in Canada. It examines important social questions regarding First Nations people, colonization, Canadian society and government.
January 13, 2015
If you are interested in learning about this reserve, it was informative without a lot of judge jargon. Biased now and again but you can tell this judge has a passion for helping these people. I will be reading his next book.
March 2, 2016
I felt well informed by this book. I did not always agree with his solutions but I certainly saw the problems in a different light. A little bit of 'I' trouble but after all it is about his work with Native peoples. Certainly worth the read.
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