Office of the Official Opposition
For Immediate Release

St. John's, NL (October 15, 2020) – Ches Crosbie, PC Opposition Leader and MHA for Windsor Lake, is calling for action on Premier Andrew Furey to leverage his so-called relationships in Ottawa to get action on the appointment of Supreme Court Judges in this province.

“Currently, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador has 4 vacant judicial seats. Almost one quarter of the judicial positions is vacant and no appointments have been made since May 2019. The Federal Government is not acting in a timely matter. I am calling on the Provincial Minister to lobby Ottawa to resolve this situation,” said Crosbie

Crosbie continued to explain that because of the vacancies an unacceptable backlog of cases and delays is occurring.

“Supreme Court Justices provide a vital public service and these vacancies have very real consequences. Just yesterday, it was reported that a commissioner to lead the inquiry for Innu children in care had to be sourced from outside the province as a local judge was not available. Justice delayed is justice denied,” outlined Crosbie.

“Access to justice is an important part of our legal system. The Federal and Provincial governments must act now to ensure these appointments are filled,” concluded Crosbie.

Contacts:

Bradley Russell

Director of Communications and Digital Strategy

(p) 1.709.729.3668

BradleyRussell@gov.nl.ca

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