Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham has declared it 'clearly unacceptable' that criminal cases in the province are being dismissed due to delays in the court system. This comes after a CBC Investigates report revealed that at least 24 individuals have had charges stayed, withdrawn, or dismissed over the past year and a half following applications under the Supreme Court of Canada's R v Jordan decision, which sets trial timelines of 18 months for provincial courts and 30 months for superior courts. Premier Wakeham highlighted the need to improve the justice system, pointing to recent budget announcements for more police, prosecutors, judges, and court staff. Justice Minister Helen Conway Ottenheimer confirmed her department will begin systematically tracking these 'Jordan cases' to analyse trends and ensure that investments in the justice system are effective. She acknowledged that delays not only undermine public confidence in the legal system but also negatively impact victims and those involved in the cases. Currently, Newfoundland and Labrador justice officials have not been able to provide statistics on how many cases are affected by Jordan timelines, prompting CBC Investigates to track at least 24 cases themselves. Some of these applications were dismissed by the Crown, some led to plea deals, and others became moot for various reasons. The government aims to use this tracking to make the justice system more accountable and responsive.

The Allahabad High Court, one of India’s oldest and most prestigious, is facing an overwhelming backlog of over a million cases, severely delaying justice for thousands in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

YouTube video by Siva Prasad Bose

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