QUESTION PERIOD — Justice
Criminal Court Delays
June 26, 2020
I have a second question for the Leader of the Government. Senator Gold, three months ago I asked Minister of Justice David Lametti what was happening with the court delays, especially since Jordan, under which trials have to be held within a reasonable period of time. Mr. Lametti never answered my question. He was supposed to introduce a bill to exclude certain cases in which criminals would benefit from a stay in proceedings because of delays that are deemed too long.
I’d like to know why the government didn’t answer my question. I’d also like to know what is going to happen to trials that exceed the deadline following the suspension of judicial activities.
Thank you for the question. When we return, I’ll look into the reasons why you didn’t receive an answer to your question. In the meantime, I’ll gladly be in touch with you if I manage to get an answer.
That being said, the delays are a result of the pandemic. That is a problem for all Canadians. I’m told that the government is in contact with the provinces and territories, who are responsible for the administration of justice, to ensure that we can resolve the wait times as quickly as possible, if that is not a contradiction in terms.
In the meantime, I’m also being told that judges across Canada are managing to come up with creative solutions to ensure that delays in major cases, especially criminal trials, do not cause any harm to those who depend on the justice system.
