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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.
[ ...Suite ]Date de parution : 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.
[ ...Suite ]Date de parution : 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.
[ ...Suite ]Date de parution : 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.
[ ...Suite ]Date de parution : 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.
[ ...Suite ]Date de parution : 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.
[ ...Suite ]Date de parution : 2024-11-12
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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