Alberta’s top trial judge says the justice system is working towards reducing a rising backlog of cases brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A number of measures have been taken to try to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, including suspending jury selections, jury trials and, more recently, all sittings.
Now, only emergency or urgent matters are being heard, usually via video conferencing. Mary Moreau, chief justice of the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, says she is concerned that court operations being shut down will result in a backlog of criminal cases, but she points out that has happened before.
She says a delay of two to three years in appointing new judges contributed to the courts getting behind on many criminal and civil