Helen Conway Ottenheimer says "Both retired and current crown prosecutors have spoken out about staff shortages and escalating workload, including an increase in murder cases,"
Shadow Justice Minister Helen Conway Ottenheimer, is raising concerns following the stay of the latest major case in the province's court system. She was reacting to a decision handed down in the NL Supreme Court on Thursday to enter a stay of proceedings due to court delays in the Kurt Churchill homicide case, which dates from 2020. Guidelines to ensure the rights of the accused to be tried in a reasonable time state that a case must be brought to trial in 30 months. Conway Ottenheimer says "Both retired and current crown prosecutors have spoken out about staff shortages and escalating workload, including an increase in murder cases," and that "One can only wonder if this systemic issue in the Crown Prosecutor's Office contributed to the Judge's decision." The NL Crown Attorneys Association has publicly cited the increasing number of complex cases, including murder, and the fact their caseload has doubled while staff levels have not substantially changed.
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