B.C. TAXPAYERS ON THE HOOK FOR $25 MILLION DUE TO LIBERALS’ FAILURE TO INVEST IN B.C. COURTROOMS
VANCOUVER – Despite a record amount of judicial stays and critical backlog in B.C. courtrooms, the Liberal government has failed to appoint enough judges to match 2010 levels, while remaining 18 judges short of 2005 levels, says New Democrat Attorney General critic Leonard Krog.
“The government has a responsibility to ensure criminals get prosecuted in a timely way and the public has the resources necessary to access justice,” said Krog, the MLA for Nanaimo. “The fact that we have even fewer judges this year than in 2010 demonstrates the Liberals’ misplaced priorities which have only exacerbated the problem.”
The 2010 Justice Delayed report showed B.C. was the only provincial court system in Canada with fewer judges than in 2005. B.C.'s complement of judges had dropped from 144 judges in 2005 down to 126. Provincial Court documents released on Dec. 31, 2011, show a net decrease in full-time equivalent judges since the report came out, compounding the crisis.
“Despite the Liberals' claims they've hired 14 judges into the system, we're even further behind than in 2010," said Krog. “The Liberals' failure to appoint enough judges to manage record caseloads has added 15.5 judge-years of work to the backlog since Justice Delayed was released. At an annual cost of $1.6 million to install a judge and cover court resources, the added backlog will cost B.C. taxpayers nearly $25 million.
“The extensive cuts the Liberals have made to the judicial system over the years has resulted in the dramatic increase in judicial stays of youth and criminal cases that we’re seeing in B.C. courtrooms today,” said Krog. “We spend millions at the frontlines, yet when criminals are brought to court and the system takes over, cases fall apart without the necessary resources in place.”
There were 109 judicial stays in 2011, compared to 56 in 2010. While judicial stays have nearly doubled, cases taking longer than 18 months to get to trial, the point at which charges could be stayed, have increased by 25 per cent.
Adrian Dix and the New Democrats are calling on the government to fill court vacancies, use community courts more frequently, and explore ways legal aid can be better used to ensure no British Columbian is denied access to justice.
“The government has a responsibility to ensure criminals get prosecuted in a timely way and the public has the resources necessary to access justice,” said Krog, the MLA for Nanaimo. “The fact that we have even fewer judges this year than in 2010 demonstrates the Liberals’ misplaced priorities which have only exacerbated the problem.”
The 2010 Justice Delayed report showed B.C. was the only provincial court system in Canada with fewer judges than in 2005. B.C.'s complement of judges had dropped from 144 judges in 2005 down to 126. Provincial Court documents released on Dec. 31, 2011, show a net decrease in full-time equivalent judges since the report came out, compounding the crisis.
“Despite the Liberals' claims they've hired 14 judges into the system, we're even further behind than in 2010," said Krog. “The Liberals' failure to appoint enough judges to manage record caseloads has added 15.5 judge-years of work to the backlog since Justice Delayed was released. At an annual cost of $1.6 million to install a judge and cover court resources, the added backlog will cost B.C. taxpayers nearly $25 million.
“The extensive cuts the Liberals have made to the judicial system over the years has resulted in the dramatic increase in judicial stays of youth and criminal cases that we’re seeing in B.C. courtrooms today,” said Krog. “We spend millions at the frontlines, yet when criminals are brought to court and the system takes over, cases fall apart without the necessary resources in place.”
There were 109 judicial stays in 2011, compared to 56 in 2010. While judicial stays have nearly doubled, cases taking longer than 18 months to get to trial, the point at which charges could be stayed, have increased by 25 per cent.
Adrian Dix and the New Democrats are calling on the government to fill court vacancies, use community courts more frequently, and explore ways legal aid can be better used to ensure no British Columbian is denied access to justice.
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