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.”
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