‘Experience is departing:’ Alberta prosecutors worried as numbers dwindle
CALGARY — A provincial wage freeze and increased caseloads resulting from a Supreme Court of Canada ruling are making it difficult to recruit new prosecutors to fill Alberta’s dwindling ranks, says an organization representing Crown lawyers.
In 2016, the Supreme Court’s Jordan decision imposed time limits on how long a criminal trial can take before it is deemed unreasonably delayed.
The ruling said people charged with an offence have the right to have their case tried within a reasonable amount of time — 18 months for provincial courts and 30 months for superior courts.
Damian Rogers, treasurer of the Alberta Crown Attorneys’ Association, says a recent government announcement about hiring an additional 10 prosecutors for regional offices is a step in the right direction.