Alberta court backlog delays criminal trials by more than a year, chief judge warns senators

Two of Alberta's top judges have warned senators that more judges must be appointed to ease a growing backlog that is already seeing new criminal trial dates being set for more than 60 weeks away.

"If a murder case dropped on the desk tomorrow, they'd be looking at trial date in 2018 and that's the start of the process," said Senator BobRunciman, who chairs the committee onlegal and constitutional affairs.

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Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Chief JusticeNeilWittmannand the head of the province's provincial court, Chief JudgeTerrenceMatchett,spoke about the issue ata hearing in a Calgary hotel on Wednesday.

They said delays are growing in Alberta courthouses and simplyfilling thecurrent vacancies will not cut into thebacklog.

Wittmanntold the senate committee new criminal trials are being set for62 weeks from now, andcivil trials needing more than five days of court time could be delayed138 weeks.

During a break in the hearing,Runciman saidthe backlogis a problem, given that the Supreme Court has ruled serious criminal cases should be completed in 30 months from the time acharge islaid to end of a trial.

"If you're looking that far down the road, you're looking at three, four, [or]fiveyears for the completion of the case and then you start to run into the challenges of the recent Supreme Court ruling, and then you're going to see cases tossed or stayed and significant numbers of victims lost at sea."

Calgary police Chief Roger Chaffintold the committeehe's worried about good police work being wasted because ofcourthouse delays.

"Lots of tests have to be applied to that still, so we're still hopeful we won't just randomly have things thrown out, but it's a big concern for us right now," he said.

The senate committee will file a report next spring.

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