St. John’s, NL (September 16, 2024) – Helen Conway Ottenheimer, PC Shadow Minister for Justice & Public Safety and MHA for Harbour Main has expressed her concerns following the stay of the latest major case in the province's court system.

Conway Ottenheimer was reacting to a decision handed down in the NL Supreme Court on Thursday to enter a stay of proceedings due to court delays in the Kurt Churchill homicide case, which dates from 2020. Guidelines to ensure the rights of the accused to be tried in a reasonable time state that a case must be brought to trial in 30 months.

"Both retired and current crown prosecutors have spoken out about staff shortages and escalating workload, including an increase in murder cases," said Conway Ottenheimer. "One can only wonder if this systemic issue in the Crown Prosecutor's Office contributed to the Judge's decision."

The NL Crown Attorneys Association has publicly cited the increasing number of complex cases, including murder, and the fact their caseload has doubled while staff levels have not substantially changed. Manitoba hired 25 Crown Attorneys last year.

"The Department of Justice and Public Safety has been aware of these problems within the Crown Attorney's office for years.

Just this past summer, the NL Crown Attorney's Association again sounded the alarm bells, warning the government of the potentially severe consequences of inaction. 

Where is the Minister of Justice? When will he take action to hire additional crown attorneys and support staff?"