With the Supreme Court of Canada handing down a decision to ensure timely justice for all, addressing undue delays in Nova Scotia has become a top priority for police, lawyers and judges.

The Jordan decision set strict time limits between charges and trial – 18 months in provincial court and 30 months in superior court.

Nova Scotia’s Deputy Justice Minister Karen Hudson tasked the province's Criminal Justice Transformation Group with the sole focus of dealing with delays.

“The public confidence in the criminal justice system will decrease if cases are not tried and determined on their merits and are, in their thoughts, thrown out because of a technicality,” Hudson says.

Hudson sits on the board along with the director of Nova Scotia's Public Prosecution Service and the province's chief judge, Pamela Williams.

“Jordan has told us the culture in the criminal justice system has to change, that delay is no longer acceptable,” says Williams.

In the last year, provincial prosecutors had 16 cases disputed when the defence brought forward delay applications. Of these, two applications were granted so the cases were thrown out, seven applications were dismissed so the prosecution continued on, two were withdrawn by the defence, and five are pending.

Much is being done in Nova Scotia to address unnecessary delays, which in itself is a slow process. Some of the priority items include improved case management with more complex cases, offering adult restorative justice when appropriate, filling judicial vacancies, and expanding mental health and addiction court services across the province.

The justice department has committed an additional $2.3 million to address the backlog, which includes buying video conferencing equipment to speed up court appearances. Another safeguard is the new red Jordan Ticker, which acts as a countdown clock highlighting how long a case has been in the system.

Public Prosecution Service director Martin Herschorn says delays by the defence also need to be considered when defining an unreasonable delay. 

“But that has to be fleshed out and recorded so it is not counted against the Crown, says Herschorn.

Luke Merrimen, the president of Nova Scotia's Criminal Lawyers Association, says time limits ensure criminal accusations don't drag on.

“It is essentially a dark cloud hanging over someone's head until they have a chance to respond,” says Merrimen

The Jordan decision is meant to clarify what it means to be tried within a reasonable time.

The Supreme Court of Canada was quite deliberate in providing a framework for judges when determining whether cases fall within or outside of the range,” says Pamela Williams.

Deputy Justice Minister Karen Hudson says her overarching goal is to have a justice system that is efficient, effective and responsive to the needs of Nova Scotians.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kelland Sundahl.