WONG-TAM: Court delays deny justice for survivors

QUEEN’S PARK – Official Opposition NDP critic for the Attorney General Kristyn Wong-Tam (Toronto Centre) joined survivors of gender-based violence and legal experts to call for action to tackle Ontario’s court delays:

“Under this Conservative government’s watch, our justice system has become riddled with delays,” said Wong-Tam. “The delays are so bad that serious cases, including sexual and physical assault cases, are getting thrown out. There are real human consequences to the underfunding and understaffing of our courts.

“This week, the government had the opportunity to make a real difference with the budget. They could have chosen to fund our courts and finally end the delays. Instead, they let things get worse. All their tough-on-crime talk is simply a deflection from their failings.

“The never-ending court delays and horrific experiences of Cait Alexander and Emily Agar are a shameful stain on our justice system. This should be a wake-up call for the Ford government to finally act on the court delays and start tackling these backlogs to ensure that Ontario delivers the justice survivors and victims of crime deserve."