A retired, and outspoken, Crown prosecutor says the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador could do a better job of scheduling trials.
The association which represents Crown attorneys has been sounding the alarm over what they see as a lack of institutional lawyers, resulting in excessive workload.
Earlier this month, the murder case against Kurt Churchill of St. John’s was stayed because it took too much time to reach trial stage.
Mike Murray, a former prosecutor, says he often sees empty courtrooms in Supreme Court.
“Probably the right way to look at it is that it’s not in terms of guilt or innocence, but that the public deserves a trial on merits,” he told VOCM News.
“To have a case derailed before any evidence is called is a major flaw in the justice system.”