The issue of delays in the criminal court system is highlighted in the government’s digital strategy. The issue became heightened following the Supreme Court’s 2016 ruling, R v. Jordan, which set strict timelines to bring criminal cases to trial. Naqvi defended his plan as simply a first step, saying the government’s initial focus was more on the “broader consumer” of the courts. “That does not mean we don’t have our eye on the criminal system, the challenges are slightly different, you are talking about an accused person, it has to be a secure system,” he said. “Going forward, we hope that lawyers will be able to access charging documents, bail documents and other court documents digitally through a secure online database,” he said.

Source: thestar December 01, 2017 20:37 UTC