Crown attorneys call on Manitoba government to help address 'dangerously heavy caseloads'

A group representing Crown attorneys in Manitoba is calling on the provincial government to help reduce mounting workloads that it says are making it difficult for prosecutors to meet their professional responsibilities.

The Manitoba Association of Crown Attorneys (MACA) said in a news release Friday that the grievance it filed with the provincial government in April 2023 to address what it called "dangerously heavy caseloads" won't be heard by an arbitrator until October 2025.

In the meantime, it said, the pressure put on Crown attorneys in Winnipeg and regional prosecution offices continues to mount, in part because of increasing crime in Manitoba — noting the 99 homicides recorded in the province last year was more than double the number seen a decade earlier.

That pressure is being compounded by "increasingly complicated cases, stricter timelines for hearing criminal matters and inadequate staffing, which leaves those working with insufficient time to prepare for court," the release said.

Prosecutors are also dealing with "an unprecedented volume of disclosure to review" given advances in technology, the association said.

The release noted that with the impending rollout of footage from RCMP bodycams, that volume will only increase — in particular for regional and circuit Crown attorneys.

"Although the government, and its predecessors, have met with MACA to discuss these concerns, it has not taken tangible steps to resolve the issues that have given rise to the grievance," the news release said, adding the province's delay in dealing with the issue "puts the public at risk."

Manitoba's Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the government has hired more clerks, slashing vacancies across the province to reduce court delays. 

In a statement, Wiebe said the NDP has also hired more than 30 new Crown attorneys since taking office and is working on recruitment and retention strategies, including signing a new deal to improve compensation for attorneys.

But MACA said Manitoba has recently lost experienced Crown attorneys to British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

"In most cases, departing Crown attorneys have trained in the Manitoba Prosecution Service and have benefited from their significant experience here, but they can move to another province and get paid the same as the most senior Crown attorneys in Manitoba, but with far less experience," the release said.