B.C. Premier Christy Clark has announced a sweeping review of the province's justice system in an attempt to decrease the court delays and backlog that have allowed dozens of accused criminals to avoid trial.
The review will be led by Vancouver lawyer Geoffrey Cowper, who will consult with the judiciary, Crown counsel, police, lawyers and police to identify the problems clogging the system.
The chief justice of the B.C. Supreme Court and other critics have blamed insufficient funding for the strain, but Clark said Wednesday that her government is hesitant to merely inject more money into the courts.
"Case loads are falling, crimes are falling, more money has gone into the system, yet delays and stays are increasing," Clark said.
"What we've discovered is that just adding more money doesn't make the problems better."
But lawyer Phil Rankin of the B.C. Trial Lawyers' Association disagrees, arguing no amount of reorganization or streamlining can repair the problem.
"They can't do more for less." Rankin said. "This whole idea [that] we're going to provide better services for less money, it doesn't work for health and it's not going to work in the legal system."
Rankin said about $40 million is needed to restore a fully operational system, but even $20 million would provide for serious improvements.
Clark declined to comment on how she would respond should the review blame the court logjam on underfunding.
"I'm not going to prejudge the process," she said.
Cowper's review is due for completion this July.
Provincial court judges tossed out 109 cases in 2011 because the accused waited too long to get to trial, doubling the number of stayed cases in 2010 when there were 10,000 fewer cases.
On Monday, the province announced it was adding a combined nine new judges to serve in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Prince George, Nanaimo, Smithers and Penticton.
But NDP critic Leonard Krog says double that number would be required to match the complement of judges from 2005.
Each new provincial court judge costs $1.4 million, according to the government.
Clark also announced Wednesday that Shirley Bond's duties as attorney general and solicitor general will be merged so she can focus on the reform agenda. Bond will now serve as justice minister and attorney general.
Responsibility for the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia will be moved to the minister of finance, while areas of liquor and gaming will now fall under the purview of the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
With files from The Canadian Press
