Chief justice says courts at risk of trial backlog

Ottawa -

Canada’s top judge says courts face a potential pandemic-fuelled trial backlog.

Chief Justice Richard Wagner told CTV News Channel’s Power Play on Thursday that while most urgent matters have been dealt with, a trial backlog could be a challenge for the courts in the following years.

He named the backlog when asked by Power Play’s host, Evan Solomon, about the biggest challenge the courts currently face.

The justice told Power Play the pandemic brought the courts into the 21st century. Wagner said it forced the legal system “to use technology to make sure justice is rendered.”

He said the ability to look at new ways to ensure access to justice is the only good thing to come out of the pandemic.

Wagner discusses the impact of COVID-19 in the video at the top of this article.