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The Manitoba Association of Crown Attorneys (MACA) is calling on the provincial government to help reduce mounting workloads that it says are making it difficult for prosecutors to meet their professional responsibilities. grievance it filed in April 2023. It says the grievance it filed back in April 2023 regarding 'dangerously heavy caseloads' won't be heard by an arbitrator until October 2025.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2025-01-10
Preparing RCMP body-cam evidence for court will be monumental task, prosecutor says
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[ ...More ]Publication date : 2025-01-06
N.L. government invests in 18 new Crown attorneys amid severe staffing crunch
Newfoundland and Labrador Justice Minister Bernard Davis announced Wednesday afternoon that the provincial government is investing nearly $24 million to improve the province's justice system.... The investment comes after CBC News reported in numerous stories that Crown attorneys in the province were "suffocating" from overwhelming workloads and a critical staffing shortage.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2024-11-14
Newfoundland to add more Crown prosecutors
Newfoundland and Labrador has agreed to hire more Crown lawyers following cries of a shortage of prosecutors in the province. The “multi-year investment” will include the hiring of 18 new Crown lawyers, according to a news release.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2024-11-13
Critical shortage of Crown attorneys has ‘gone on way too long’ and is hurting public safety
The Canadian Association of Crown Counsel, an umbrella group for thousands of Crown attorneys and government lawyers across the country is calling for a big boost in the number of provincial prosecutors in Newfoundland and Labrador.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2024-11-13
Most criminal cases in Ontario now ending before charges are tested at trial
More than half of the criminal charges laid by police in Ontario never make it to trial, according to data from Statistics Canada. The numbers paint a troubling picture of the province’s justice system. More judges, staff, prosecutors and courtrooms needed, says Crown attorneys’ association.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2024-11-12
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Alberta justice minister denies courtroom cuts; sources maintain tissues, water removed
22-01-2020
https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/35a426de-3e4c-11ea-92a9-0242ac110003/?jwsource=cl
WATCH: Alberta Justice officials now say there was a miscommunication with some courts when it comes to the availability of tissues and water in courtrooms. Jayme Doll explains.
Alberta Justice denies it ever gave a directive to remove tissues or water from courtrooms earlier this week but sources confirmed to Global News on Tuesday that these items would no longer be supplied.
Sources said the move was made to reduce spending in the department, and were told anyone in a courtroom would be required to supply their own tissues and there would be a change to how water would be provided.
On Wednesday morning, the office of Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer issued a statement to Global News, saying: “Tissues will still be provided to witnesses and water to both witnesses and the judiciary. This has — and will not — change.
“Water coolers for lawyers will be removed from individual courtrooms and lawyers will be responsible for providing their own water or can have filtered water available in water fountains, in the kitchen and in break areas. Removing water coolers for lawyers in courtrooms will save Alberta Courts approximately $50,000.”
Ian Savage, president of the Calgary-based Criminal Defence Lawyers Association, said Tuesday that the move by Alberta Justice court administration is ridiculous.
“There [are] budget cuts and there’s silliness, and this obviously falls into the line of silliness,” he said.
“The court system, like any other public system, has people coming into it that have basic human needs. Just like toilet paper, running water and soap in the washrooms of the courthouse, individuals that come to the courthouse to participate in the justice system — be it the lawyers, the judges or witnesses — need to drink water in order to carry on in a normal function.”
“Little things start getting cut and some of these are going to have real impacts on victims,” he said.
Block said he thinks lawyers will be fine bringing their own water.
“There [are] water fountains. We can buy our own water,” he said. “Our concerns are always more about victims.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/6450000/alberta-justice-minister-courtroom-tissues-water/