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News
Release |
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Bennett calls for increased court presence on Northern
Peninsula March 14, 2006
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Jim Bennett, Leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, is
calling upon government to increase the amount of time court proceedings
take place on the northern peninsula, especially in St. Anthony. Currently, circuit court proceedings on the northern peninsula take place 40 days per year. This process involves a judge traveling from Corner Brook 8 times a year for a five day period. This has delayed court proceedings for extended periods of time, and has denied affected individuals timely access to the judicial system. "The current circuit court system on the northern peninsula is not acceptable," said Mr. Bennett. "People in this region of our province do not have equal access to the judicial system and often experience long delays in having their day in court. This government reduced the amount of time the court sits on the northern peninsula by 20 per cent and this has definitely had a negative impact. "I am demanding government address this problem as soon as possible. Government should immediately assign a judge to St. Anthony to reduce the backlog of cases being experienced in this area so people can receive justice. I am also asking the Minister of Justice to examine the possibility of returning a full-time judge to St. Anthony to ensure these backlogs don’t return in the future. "Now that the province has additional funds to invest in these vital services, I hope the minister won’t turn a blind eye to this major problem. Most people in the province are expecting a good news budget as a result of the millions of surplus dollars received through increased oil prices. Now is the time to reinstate some of the services that this government cut in their first two and a half years in office."
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