Crown attorneys in Nova Scotia sound alarm on judge shortage
Crown attorneys are speaking out with concerns about a shortage of judges presiding over Nova Scotia courtrooms.
The Nova Scotia Crown Attorneys’ Association (NSCAA) released a statement Friday sounding the alarm on the number of judicial vacancies in the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia.
“The inexplicable failure to fill judicial vacancies in a timely manner has had a marked detrimental effect on the proper administration of criminal justice in this Province,” the statement reads.
According to the province’s website, about 80 Crown Attorneys across Nova Scotia handle about 40,000 cases each year.
Citing the “failure of the provincial government to fill judicial vacancies,” the NSCAA noted the shortage comes as “an unprecedented backlog of cases” await to be heard in courtrooms across the province.
They say the backlog is in part due to the complexity of cases coming before the court, while delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic have worsened the situation.
“Delays in these cases have a detrimental effect on victims of crime and the safety of the public, but also on accused persons who have a constitutional right to have a trial within a reasonable time,” the statement continues.
The shortage of judges, according to the NSCAA, has led to an increase in delays for cases involving serious offences like violence against children, human trafficking, domestic violence, impaired driving, and even homicide cases.
“These delays have resulted in these types of cases being thrown out due to excessive delay,” the statement reads. “This means victims may never get a chance tell their story and have the case they are participating in decided by a [judge].”
“Justice delayed is truly justice denied for victims, accused, and, ultimately, the people of Nova Scotia.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.