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Nova Scotia’s prosecution service gets staffing boost to help clear court backlogs

Click to play video: 'N.S. public prosecution appoints new equality detector'
N.S. public prosecution appoints new equality detector
The Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service has appointed a new director of equality and strategic relations. This comes following concerns about systemic racism within the institution. Vanessa Wright reports. – Oct 18, 2023

The Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service is getting 27 new permanent staff to help it clear a backlog of legal cases.

Justice Minister Brad Johns says the government is committed to addressing pandemic-related backlogs and increasingly complex cases that often lead to dismissal without trial.

The Justice Department says 17 of the new positions — 11 Crown attorneys and six legal assistants — will support specialized prosecution teams dealing with human trafficking and sexual violence.

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The remaining 10 positions will allow the province to make permanent a 2017 pilot project that triages cases to help the justice system meet Supreme Court of Canada-mandated deadlines on the length of trials.

The department says four of the new lawyer positions will be filled by equity-deserving candidates to improve minority representation within the organization.

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Nova Scotia’s prosecution service currently employees more than 100 Crown attorneys.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2024.

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