Quebec seeks to address backlog in judicial system

The Quebec government introduced asweeping bill on Friday aimed at improving access to the province's justice system and speeding up the judicial process.

"Our justice [system]needs to be more accessible, more efficient and has to be adapted to the reality of society,"said Justice Minister Stphanie Valle.

Bill 168, tabled on the last day of the fall session at the National Assembly, proposes nearly 40 measures.

If passed, the bill would create two extra positions for judges to oversee judicial cases in northern Quebec, where Valle said there is backlog of cases.

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The province also wants to help Quebecers in the regions who wish to file an appeal. As it stands, citizens can only file an appeal in either Quebec City or Montreal.

Under the changes, citizens would be able to file an appeal at regional courthouses.

The bill also includes expanding legal aid to include more services and resources so that certain cases don't have to go before the courts.

Vallesaid the proposed measures are meant to ease delays in the province's judicial system, a much-needed"cultural shift"in a system plagued bydelays for years even before theSupreme Court of Canada handed down the Jordan ruling in 2016.

Under thatruling, trials involving less serious offences must now be wrapped up within 18 months, and those involving more serious charges, including murder, facea 30-month deadline.

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