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Shortage of prosecutors: towards abandoning prosecutions
Crown prosecutors fear the worst in the face of the crisis which is slowing down the functioning of the criminal justice system in New Brunswick. Calls for help have been made for two weeks. Me Yves Duguay, Vice-President of the New Brunswick Association of Crown Prosecutors and prosecutor in Bathurst, admits that the situation has been worrying for a while.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2024-03-27
B.C. prosecutors’ association raises security concerns about Vancouver courthouse following assault
The association that represents B.C.’s roughly 450 Crown prosecutors is raising safety concerns around an East Vancouver courthouse after a member was allegedly assaulted outside last week. "We’re reeling, this has really shaken us to the core to have one of our own attacked right here,” said BCCCA president Adam Dalrymple.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2024-02-05
Increased number of homicides doesn’t bode well for overworked N.L. prosecutors, association says
There are 17 homicide cases before the courts in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the head of the association that represents local prosecutors says the higher-than-normal caseload will be difficult to handle.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2023-09-07
Manitoba adds 25 Crown attorneys to prosecution service amid workload issues
The Manitoba government hopes to add about two dozen more prosecutors and assistants to the prosecution service, which attorneys say has been struggling to keep up amid workload and workforce issues. Manitoba Association of Crown Attorneys says province left group out of discussions.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2023-06-26
Les Leyne: Premier David Eby takes on lawyers — again
The B.C. NDP government has introduced a one-page bill that bestows the right to join a union on the 350 lawyers who work for government. There’s a catch. It herds them into a union the government prefers, the Professional Employees Association, rather than allowing them to form their own.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2023-05-06
‘Unfair labour practice’: B.C. government accused of blocking union bid by its own lawyers
Lawyers for the B.C. government say the province has ended negotiations with them ahead of legislation they claim aims to block their right to form their own union.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2023-05-04
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Canadian justice ministers plan emergency meeting as court delays threaten thousands of cases
27-04-2017
Provincial and territorial justice ministers are gathering Friday in Gatineau, Que., for an emergency meeting with their federal counterpart, Jody Wilson-Raybould, to discuss how to tackle delays in the criminal courts. (ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The federal Liberals came to power promising sweeping reforms to the criminal justice system, but now the provinces are championing some ideas of their own as they focus on cutting backlogs in the courts.
“I think for the most part, the provinces recognize the status quo isn’t an option and we need those changes to take place,” Manitoba Justice Minister Heather Stefanson said in an interview.
“Time is moving on and now is the time for action.”
Stefanson and other provincial and territorial justice ministers are gathering Friday in Gatineau, Que., for an emergency meeting with their federal counterpart, Jody Wilson-Raybould, to discuss how to tackle delays in the criminal courts.
It is not a new problem, but finding a solution has become more urgent.
The Supreme Court of Canada issued a groundbreaking decision last summer, R. v. Jordan, that set out a new framework for determining whether a criminal trial has been unreasonably delayed, citing a “culture of complacency” for contributing to the problem.
The Charter of Rights and Freedoms says someone charged with an offence has the right to have their case tried within a reasonable amount of time. In a 5-4 decision, the high court defined that period as 18 months for provincial courts and 30 months for superior courts.
There is room for exceptions, and the ruling came with a transitional measure for cases already in the system, but a dissenting minority opinion argued the new time limits could lead to thousands of prosecutions being tossed out.
“That was a way of the Supreme Court throwing its hands up and chastising both federal and provincial governments for decades of neglect,” said New Democrat MP Alistair MacGregor, the justice critic for his party.
