Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Fraser Valley defense lawyers, led by Rob Dhanu, have voiced serious concerns over prolonged court closures, which they argue could lead to significant delays in the justice system. In a letter signed by Dhanu and 20 other defense lawyers, they questioned why provincial courts remained closed while other businesses, like liquor stores and laundromats, continued to operate.
The letter highlights the potential violation of Charter rights due to these delays, referencing the R v. Jordan decision, which mandates that criminal cases must be resolved within 18 months. The lawyers argue that while COVID-19 presents exceptional circumstances, the justice system and the Crown have a duty to proactively mitigate these delays. They warn that if provincial courts do not reopen soon, many criminal cases could be at risk of never being resolved, pushing them to the “precipice of oblivion.”
Dhanu and his colleagues emphasize that the continued closure of provincial courts, especially when other levels of court are resuming operations, raises questions about the consistency of the justice system’s response to the pandemic. They call for immediate action to prevent a “devastating cascade of delay issues” and ensure that the rights of the accused are protected.
See the full article here: Fraser Valley lawyers warn ‘numerous criminal matters dangle on the precipice of oblivion’
