‘Huge resource gaps’: judge shortage leads to circuit court cuts Sittings slashed; judges, lawyers worry confidence in justice system will be eroded
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A shortage of judges is forcing Manitoba’s provincial court to slash sittings across the province.
The court announced in a notice to the profession Wednesday that it will be reducing the number of annual court sittings at nine rural circuit locations and St. Boniface provincial court in Winnipeg by 68 sittings, effective April 1, 2027.
The reductions are necessary to balance “access to justice needs with the complement of judicial resources currently insufficient to maintain the current court schedule,” said the notice, signed by provincial court Chief Judge Ryan Rolston.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Ryan Rolson, chief judge of Manitoba’s provincial court, says the circuit-court cuts are necessary considering the court’s lack of resources. 
Affected circuit courts include Altona, Arborg, Beausejour, Easterville, Cranberry Portage, Lundar, Grand Rapids, Moose Lake, and Pine Falls.
Circuit courts are already hampered by frequent delays due to weather conditions, mechanical issues with planes and other factors, said Winnipeg defence lawyer Gerri Wiebe. Further reductions to court sittings will only worsen access to justice concerns, Wiebe said.
“With the number of cases rising and the complexity of cases rising, to cut court sittings… I just can’t fathom it,” she said.
Easterville and Beausejour will see the greatest reduction, with the number of court sittings cut in half.
“Some of these courts are serving pretty big populations and some of them are serving northern populations,” Wiebe said.
“The fact that we are getting rid of 68 court sittings when we are already dealing with delay and we are already dealing with important cases being stayed or having to be crammed in just to get them in under the wire — all this is going to do is reduce the court’s ability to hear cases and give them the attention they deserve.”
“With the number of cases rising and the complexity of cases rising, to cut court sittings… I just can’t fathom it.”
Rolston estimated Manitoba provincial court would require an additional two to five new judges to maintain the current number of court sittings.
The provincial court division is hearing increasingly more complex cases and has not been properly resourced to keep up with the demands on the system, Rolston said in a phone interview Wednesday.
“I appreciate that the premier or the government as a whole deal with resource issues in every sector… but there are huge resource gaps in justice,” he said.
“When you look at the administration of justice… it is incumbent upon the executive branch, which funds the judicial branch, to ensure that… (the justice system) is resourced properly. Right now, we are just not at that point.”
Rolston acknowledged the cutback in court sittings will damage confidence in the justice system.
“In many of the areas of Manitoba where they only see judges or the court system come in on a monthly basis now being every second or third month, it becomes a situation where the justice system is no longer seen in their community,” Rolston said.
“I think that impacts the way people view justice and they stop having confidence in the justice system because they simply don’t see the courts doing what they should be doing in the community.”
Absent an infusion of new resources, the provincial court will continue to face a “very challenging” time, said Chris Gamby, communications director for Criminal Defence Lawyers Association of Manitoba.
“I appreciate that the premier or the government as a whole deal with resource issues in every sector… but there are huge resource gaps in justice.”
“I don’t think anybody would say (reducing court sittings) is ideal,” Gamby said. “I think this is the court trying to balance out what it can do to provide the best service it can to participants in the system with the resources it has.”
Justice Minister Matt Wiebe was not made available for an interview Wednesday.
His press secretary, Andrew Chapman, issued a statement saying the government meets regularly with the chief judge to “discuss ways we can support the courts.”
The statement noted the province recently appointed an associate chief judge of reconciliation (Judge Jerilee Ryle) and committed to building a new circuit court at Opaskwayak Cree Nation.
“We are also always working to reduce the strain on our courts and remove barriers to the justice system,” the statement said.
— with files from Carol Sanders
dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
Dean Pritchard is courts reporter for the Free Press. He has covered the justice system since 1999, working for the Brandon Sun and Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 2019. Read more about Dean.
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