March 28, 2024

Crown Counsel association says courts need more than new judges

The Crown Council Association is calling the addition of nine new provincial court judges a “good first step.”

Association spokesperson Samiran Lakshman says while they welcome the move the province needs to now invest in other areas of the justice system, like legal aid.

“These nine new judges are going to be shocked when they walk into family court and see that nine out of ten of the cases that are in front of them has at least one party that is unrepresented and they are going to be shocked as to how they are supposed to try and find out what is in the best interest of the children in these families when they don’t have the help of council.”

Lakshman says the new judges, while a good move, also pose another problem for Crown Counsel.

“We still in the prosecution service are faced with a hiring freeze you know we have three Crowns that have been appointed here in this wave and they leave very big holes behind and we hope that the government will fast track to at least to backfill their appointments in any event we are still faced with a two-million-dollar cut to the prosecution service as well.”

He says no one is asking for a blank cheque but they just want an equitable investment to allow for access to justice.

CKNW Vancouver News

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