WHEREAS there is an increasing demand placed on policing resources through procedural delays when the alleged offences relate to the Motor Vehicle Act and regulatory offences and, in the present system of justice, it is incumbent that alleged offenders receive fair and unbiased hearings before the courts, which is the foundation of a democratic society; AND WHEREAS procedures may be used to unduly delay the case and further delays can also be achieved through requests for extensive information from the police, resulting in the extensive withdrawal of personnel from enforcement duties to paperwork duties and extensive overtime, resulting in burdens placed on local government policing budgets: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities request that the Attorney General undertake consultation with the administrative justices to streamline court procedures for handling offences relating to the Motor Vehicle Act and related regulatory offences.
MINISTRY OF ATTORNEY GENERAL The Ministry of Attorney General is committed to being a leader in law reform and innovative justice processes. Along with the judiciaries and other justice system partners, the Court Services Branch is actively participating in reforms to both civil and criminal justice processes to improve timeliness, accessibility and efficiency. In the past year, the Court Services Branch implemented the Violation Ticket Centre VTC, which is a centralized office for scheduling province-wide violation ticket disputes. A goal of the VTC is to streamline violation ticket scheduling processes. It also provides a single point of contact regarding violation ticket disputes for both the public and for enforcement agencies. A dedicated phone line has been created for enforcement officers 604 660-4436. Trials on a violation ticket will continue to be heard at the nearest court within the files jurisdiction. Other efficiencies for enforcement agencies include the ability to appear in traffic court via telephone. All police agencies are encouraged to utilize this procedure, as it may reduce travel time to the court registry location, thereby increasing police time spent on enforcement duties. The Court Services Branch is also working on legislative proposals that may create efficiencies for both court registries and justice partners, including police agencies. These proposals are subject to review and prioritization by Cabinet.