Madam Speaker, the hon. member for Wild Rose raises a very significant problem in our justice system, the backlog the courts are facing.
I have to say with all honesty, having been a participant in our court system, that delay is a tactic used quite often by the defence. I have participated in that and it is not something criminal lawyers are particularly proud of, but the old maxim justice delayed is justice denied I think is very true in the case he refers to.
It is simply unacceptable to have 18 court appearances and when there are victims involved this is very telling. It is very pychologically damaging for victims to have to wait to have some form of closure on a criminal matter. When loved ones are involved and they are faced with this continual legal wrangling, it is simply unacceptable.
However, because of the caseload and the number of criminal offences we are prosecuting throughout the country we find that time and time again this does occur. This instance is perhaps not indicative of what happens in all cases but there are those exceptions where it drags on endlessly.
I cannot say specifically what happened in that case. It does happen and I am sure that through addressing this with more crown prosecutors and perhaps more judges would lessen the workload. That would be one way to address it. Alternative measures for some of the less serious offences involving property would give more time to focus on violent offences and crimes where there is loss of life.