In response to concerns about delays in Alberta’s justice system, the province is making changes to give police and court staff more time to deal with serious and violent offences.
An Act to Modernize Enforcement of Provincial Offences will come into effect May 1.
Under the act, warrants will no longer be needed to enforce tickets and overdue fines for minor, non-traffic-related infractions “like failing to shovel a sidewalk or not paying a transit fare.” Albertans with overdue fines for those types of overdue offences won’t be looking at jail time. However, they could face civil measures like being unable to renew their vehicle registration.
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The government said Monday the legislation will free up the court system for more serious crimes.
“Police, court staff, judges and others in the justice system will no longer have to spend thousands of hours each year processing warrants issued for minor offences,” Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley said.
“We know their time is better spent focusing on more serious and violent matters.”
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Alberta’s justice system has come under fire recently for taking so long to address some cases that they were being thrown out.
The Jordan decision further exacerbated the issue.
The Alberta NDP announced plans to add more Crown prosecutors and legal staff to help ease court delays.
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The government hopes the measures announced Monday will make better use of officers’ and court staff’s time.
“The changes made by this legislation will be very welcome,” said Marlin Degrand, the assistant commissioner of the Alberta RCMP.
“This will translate to more time spent by our employees focusing on front-line policing in Alberta.”
Social agencies also hope the changes will help break the cycle of poverty and incarceration.
“At the John Howard Society, we see many people who are caught up in this cycle and often their stories started with unpaid fines and other minor administration of justice issues,” executive director Chris Hay said. “We truly feel this will enhance community safety, improve lives, and save taxpayers money.”
The act also includes an eTicketing initiative to allow police and peace officers to electronically file tickets with the court rather than filling out paperwork.
The province says there are about 200,000 outstanding warrants in Alberta; 45 per cent of which are for minor provincial and municipal bylaw infractions. The government says court staff spend nearly 9,000 hours each year processing warrants for minor offences.
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