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CACC Meets with UHM Voice of the Workers and Malta Government Lawyers
In 2022, UHM Voice of the Workers marked a significant milestone by negotiating the very first collective agreement for the Attorney General’s Office. The groundbreaking efforts of UHM Voice of the Workers have not gone unnoticed. Their achievements resonated across borders, drawing the attention of the Canadian Association of Crown Counsel (CACC). At a recent meeting on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association conference in Malta, representatives from the CACC engaged with UHM delegates to learn from their experiences.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2025-04-11
A system in crisis: Rebuilding the dwindling Crown Attorney’s Office
With more files, more complex files and less resources, not surprisingly, Crown Attorneys are burning out and quitting. The lack of sufficient lawyers, especially experienced lawyers, has led to crisis in many provinces. Associations representing Crown Attorneys in Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have recently sounded the alarm...
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2025-03-14
Crown attorneys call on Manitoba government to help address ‘dangerously heavy caseloads’
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
The RCMP is phasing-in the use of body-worn cameras across the country and expects 90 per cent of frontline members to be wearing them within a year. Shara Munn, president of the New Brunswick Crown Prosecutors Association, said while the body-camera evidence will be great to have, it will also mean a huge influx of work for prosecutors.
[ ...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
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Crown attorneys want to form a union, but NDP government presents a hurdle
17-08-2018
James Pickard, president of the Alberta Crown Attorneys' Association
The Alberta Crown Attorneys’ Association has filed two applications to the Alberta Labour Relations Board, including an application for certification as a bargaining unit.
Before it can be certified though, the association is asking the board to declare unconstitutional parts of the Public Service Employee Relations Act that would prevent the association from serving as a collective bargaining unit.
Association president James Pickard said the organization had hoped the government would change the legislation so it would not have to launch a challenge under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
That didn’t happen, he said in an interview Friday.
“We’ve talked to the province about trying to do something co-operatively. I can’t get into details, of course, about what happened and where that went, but obviously we’re making this application, so we weren’t able to do anything co-operatively,” said Pickard.
“They’re opposed to the Labour Relations Board application, and that’s all I can say at this point.”
Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley declined an interview request and the government refused to comment because the matter is before the board.
Pickard said a number of factors led members of the Crown attorneys’ association to vote last fall in favour of seeking a collective agreement.
Government wage freezes that have hampered recruitment and retention, concerns over prosecutor safety and ongoing staff shortages and delays around court cases influenced the decision and are among the issues that bargaining could help address, he said.
“What we’re looking for is fairness, certainty. We want to have a voice in what happens to us. And I think ultimately, we also want to make sure we have a strong prosecution service,” said Pickard.
Pickard stressed that the idea isn’t new and that Crown attorneys in most other provinces are able to bargain collectively.
The LRB will hold hearings on the applications in December.
https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/crown-attorneys-looking-to-unionize
