Alta. courts hurt by lack of prosecutors

Alberta Crown prosecutors are warning that more criminal charges will be stayed unless the provincial government hires 50 more lawyers to deal with a growing number of cases.

James Pickard, president of the Alberta Crown Attorneys’ Association, says the province is failing to adequately fund the Crown prosecution service.

“Unless the government of Alberta immediately begins hiring additional prosecutors to tackle the current backlog and address the pressures, more criminal prosecutions will have to be abandoned,” Pickard Wednesday.

His comments came a day after charges were stayed in 15 criminal cases in Edmonton due to the shortage of prosecutors.

Pickard said the stayed charges included impaired driving, assault, fraud, theft and weapons offences.

About 200 significant criminal charges have been stayed across Alberta since January due to the shortage of Crowns, the association said.

Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley said the government is working to recruit 14 more Crown prosecutors and suggested it may hire more after the provincial budget is handed down on March 16.

Ganley said in the meantime the government is giving prosecutors the discretion to stay less serious, non-violent charges.

The minister said the government is concerned about the backlog but needs to manage the situation carefully.

The NDP government increased funding to the legal aid system last year by $2.5 million.

Ganley said the increase was long overdue and the situation was exacerbated by Alberta’s growing jobless rate at the time.