Quebec government challenges decision to have judges sit every other day

A man sits on a bench outside Montreal's courthouse on June 14, 2016 (CTV Montreal/Pedro Querido)

The Quebec government is asking the Court of Appeal to rule on a decision by the Court of Quebec to have its Criminal and Penal Division judges sit every other day instead of every third day.

The Justice Ministry estimates that with this change, 50,000 cases would be at risk of exceeding the Jordan time limit, leading to adjournments.

Justice Minister and Attorney General Simon Jolin-Barrette has been mandated to appeal this decision, as Quebec believes it "could significantly increase court delays" in the province.

As of next fall, it is expected that Criminal and Penal Division judges will sit in court every other day, rather than every third day. When they are not in chambers, the judges work on their cases and write their judgments.

The Court of Quebec announced this change last winter in an effort to reduce the workload of its judges.

In a news release Thursday, Jolin-Barrette said the Court of Quebec made the decision "without consulting the various partners in the justice system" and that it "deeply concerns the Quebec government."

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 7, 2022.