Ontario attorney general seeks Ottawa’s help to speed up justice system
TORONTO — Ontario’s attorney general is calling on the federal government to help speed up the justice system by appointing more judges and making specific changes to the country’s Criminal Code.
Yasir Naqvi made the requests Tuesday, saying they came in light of a landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision on the constitutionally guaranteed right to be tried within a reasonable time.
The top court’s ruling last year, known as “the Jordan decision,” set out new deadlines for completing trials: up to 30 months in superior courts and 18 months for cases at the provincial level.
The Crown can challenge the notion that a delay is unreasonable by demonstrating “exceptional circumstances,” and for ongoing cases, the top court said the new framework must be applied “flexibly and contextually.”