BCGEU welcomes review of provincial justice system

VANCOUVER, Feb. 8, 2012 /CNW/ - The BCGEU welcomes news the province has established an independent review of the deeply troubled provincial justice system and is calling on the government to act quickly and invest additional resources.

"A decade of Liberal government cuts and chronic underfunding have created the current crisis," says BCGEU president Darryl Walker. "We have heard from our members for years that the criminal justice system was deteriorating. The unprecedented public concerns expressed by lawyers and judges confirmed the significant and real pressures which are grinding the wheels of justice to a halt."

The current provincial budget contains further spending cuts for next year. The government will present a new budget later this month but today's announcement was clear that no new funding is anticipated.

"While this review is welcome news, a rearrangement of ministries and responsibilities will not fix the problems. It is clear that a major investment of new money is necessary to bring meaningful improvements to our justice system," Walker added.

Many of the changes announced today will impact the thousands of BCGEU members who deliver front line justice services across the province.

The BCGEU is seeking a briefing from the Government to understand the impacts on our members of the changes announced today by the Premier.

Evan Stewart, BCGEU Communications [phone].