1. Key issues and challenges facing the Canadian criminal justice system
June 2017

2. Population demographics CANADA
YEAR
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
POPULATION
34,750.5
35,155.5
35,544.6
35,848.6
36,286.4
% CHANGE
1.2
1.1
0.9
CHANGE THOUSANDS
407.8
404.9
389.1
304.0
437.8

3. Population demographics MANITOBA
YEAR
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
POPULATION
1,250.3
1,265.5
1,281.0
1,296.0
1,318.1
% CHANGE
1.3
1.2
1.7
CHANGE
THOUSANDS
16.5
15.3
15.4
15.0
22.1

4. The Canadian criminal justice system
Unlike the U.S., the federal government has exclusive power to pass/change criminal laws, including offences, criminal procedure, sentencing and corrections law (for practices regarding persons serving sentences of 2 years or more).

5. Defining the issues/challenges
Similarities with U.S. experience:
Crime rate generally decreasing, some increases in last few years of total, violent and property crimes
Increasing court delays/median time to complete cases
Increasing corrections population and large increasing proportion in remand
Increasing incarceration rates
Increasing case complexity
Increasing pressure on resources
Increasing costs

6. Crime Rates Incident Based Crime Statistics, by detailed violations, annual, per 100,000 Population
Canada Crime Rates
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Total, all Criminal Code violations (including traffic)
7977
7980
7891
8143
7979
7703
7621
7310
7068
6896
6579
6203
6038
5581
5410
5549
Total violent Criminal Code violations
1494
1473
1441
1435
1404
1389
1387
1354
1334
1322
1292
1236
1197
1093
1041
1062
Total property crime violations
5189
5124
5080
5299
5123
4884
4809
4525
4258
4122
3838
3536
3435
3147
3090
3220
Manitoba Crime Rates
11160
11775
11620
12869
13031
12098
11959
11320
10343
11027
10299
9494
9345
8311
8037
8444
Total violent Criminel Code violations
2386
2297
2272
2275
2221
2199
2123
2026
2042
2178
2219
2093
2069
1850
1722
1790
6979
7447
7306
8250
8354
7797
7767
7166
6189
6692
5750
4973
4962
4305
4324
4706

9. Trends, crime rate, adult
Canada:
Decrease of 13 years; increase in violent, property and total crimes from 2014.
Manitoba:
Decrease over 13 years; increase in violent, property and total crimes from 2014.
Rates higher than Canada rates.
In 2015, among the provinces, Manitoba had second highest violent crime rate and total crime rate, and fourth highest property crime rate; highest robbery rate for 22nd straight year, and second highest rate for major assault, break and enter and homicide.

10. Adult criminal courts, cases by median elapsed time in days, annual (number unless otherwise noted)
Canada Adult Criminal Court Median (days) Case Completion Time
2005/2006
2006/2007
2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
Total Criminal Code
124
125
126
123
120
118
116
119
Crimes against the person
154
159
160
162
157
158
167
174
176
Crimes against property
111
113
114
110
103 99
100
107
104
Manitoba Adult Criminal Court Median (days) Case Completion Time
127
136
152
135
156
148
182
191
189
185
197
213
218
208
144
155
175
146
184
179
Canada
Count
338109
334839
345554
348999
360271
358765
341786
334443
328407
284063
93979
92336
94063
95114
96688
94720
93223
91027
87887
76888
96629
94268
94570
93056
98180
97914
91380
88661
85300
76356
Manitoba
16916
15423
15354
16190
17192
17637
17150
17581
17959
16806
5250
4613
4437
4672
4685
4820
4796
4810
4818
4600
4075
3364
2917
3117
3398
3441
2989
3025
3254
3178

13. Trends, median elapsed time delays
Canada:
Increasing median case completion days for crimes against the person.
Manitoba:
Increasing median case completion days for total Criminal Code, crimes against property and crimes against the person.
Lengthier median days for all crimes than Canada.

14. Adult correctional services, average counts of adults in provincial and territorial programs, annual
Incarceration rates
Canada Adult Remand and Sentenced Custody Counts
Custodial and community supervision
2000/2001
2001/2002
2002/2003
2003/2004
2004/2005
2005/2006
2006/2007
2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
Provinces and Territories
Sentenced, actual-in count (persons)
10555
9851.1
9691.5
9476.2
9982.7
9799.3
9931.2
9888
Remand, actual-in count (persons)
7401.4
7943.8
8703.7
9173.6
9787
13548
13739
Manitoba Adult Remand and Sentenced Custody Counts
Manitoba
596.1
544.8
560.4
515
487.4
485.3
510.6
488.7
509.6
580.9
721
817.8
823.9
888.1
845
826.5
520
570
620
715
659.4
863
986.3
1067.1
1132.6
1289.3
1298.2
1434.6
1600.9
1482.1
1542
1597.8
Manitoba Incarceration Rates
Incarceration rates per 100,000 adults (rate)
130.15
129.17
135.68
140
129.03
150.6
166.02
171.31
179.12
201.85
215.46
237.61
251.69
242.34
240.44
241.85
Provincial/Territorial Incarceration Rates
79.56
80.18
80.77
78.67
79.43
82.74
87.73
89.1
90.49
90.29
90.56
90.53
86.48
85.46
87.9

15. Incarceration Rates, Manitoba/Provinces/Territories

16. Provincial/Territorial Incarceration Rates

17. Manitoba Incarceration Rates

18. Canada Adult Remand and Sentenced Custody Counts
2000/2001
2001/2002
2002/2003
2003/2004
2004/2005
2005/2006
2006/2007
2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
2016/2016

19. Manitoba Adult Remand and Sentenced Custody Counts
2000/2001
2001/2002
2002/2003
2003/2004
2004/2005
2006/2006
2006/2007
2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016

20. Trends, incarceration and adult custody (2000/2001 – 2015/2016)
Incarceration rates (per 100,000 adults):
Canada < 10.5%
Manitoba < 86%
Remand custody counts (average daily):
Canada < 101%
Manitoba < 207%
Sentenced custody counts (average daily):
Canada > 7.5%
Manitoba < 39%
Remand % vs. custody % (snapshot – 2006/2007 – 2015/2016)
Canada - Remand (54-60%) < 6%, Sentenced (46-44%) >2%
Manitoba – Remand 66% - unchanged, Sentenced 34% - unchanged

21. Delay in the criminal justice system
S. 11(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms – right to be tried within a reasonable time.
Remedy for violation = judicial stay of proceedings.
Across Canada, delays in the criminal justice system is significant concern, leading to cases lost or in jeopardy due to delay.
The concern was intensified with the Supreme Court of Canada decision in R. v. Jordan (2016).

22. R. v. Jordan
The Supreme Court of Canada acknowledged the existing “culture of delay”.
Set presumptive ceilings beyond which delay would presumptively be unreasonable unless the Crown demonstrates exceptional circumstances were involved (18 months in proceedings in Provincial Court, and 30 months for more serious indictable matter proceedings in the Court of Queen’s Bench).

23. Canada - applications for delay since Jordan
From July 2016 to April 13, 2017, 1205 applications for delay were brought across Canada, seeking judicial stay or proceedings:
15% granted (180/1205)
21% dismissed (250/1205)
37% pending or outcome unknown (446/1205)
27% includes abandoned applications, Crown stays, and matters resolved otherwise (without a ruling on stay application) (329/1205)

24. Manitoba - applications for delay
Pre Jordan, approximately 12 applications per year (one per month) brought.
Post Jordan (July 2016 to April 2017), 48 applications brought (16 dismissed (3 are under appeal), 9 withdrawn by counsel, 1 successful motion, 14 currently before the court and 8 resolved without determination made on motion.

25. Delay - priority
The Jordan decision , and its impact, continues to be discussed in multiple federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) fora, including by Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and officials; and at provincial/territorial levels.

26. Federal Provincial Territorial Meeting of Ministers of Justice, April 2017
Purpose: Discuss action taken and ways to strategically address delays in the criminal justice system.
Ministers agreed on the need for targeted criminal law reform.
The federal Minister committed to further legislative action.
Ministers identified mandatory minimum penalties, bail, administration of justice offences, preliminary inquiries, and reclassification of offences as priorities for legislative reform.
Officials directed to develop recommendations on reform options, on a priority basis.

27. Impact of Jordan in Manitoba
Jordan decision compounded problem of front end pressures particularly for Manitoba.

28. Costs
Federal operating expenditures in 2015/2016 for correctional services in Canada totaled over $4.6 billion (-2% from 2014/2015).
Manitoba’s total operating expenditures in 2015/2016 for its adult correctional system were $205.4 million (+6% from 2014/2015).

29. Federal forum
Prime Minister mandate to the federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, directs:
1) Criminal justice system review of changes and sentencing reforms over the past decade.
2) Modernization efforts to improve efficiency and effectiveness of criminal justice system.

30. Federal Criminal Justice System review
Examination of bail regime, mandatory minimum penalty regime, restorative justice processes and other sentencing components.
Outcomes: increased use of restorative justice processes, and other initiatives to reduce the rate of incarceration rate amongst Indigenous Canadians.

31. Modernization efforts
To improve efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system.
Outcomes: improved use of information technology, exploration of sentencing alternatives and bail reform.

32. Challenges to address Similar processes/issues as U.S.
Focus on reducing pressures and costs at front end
Increase case velocity
Create court time for in custody cases
Decrease custody rate, in particular remand
Proportionality – focus on serious violent and repeat offenders
Pursue alternatives to formal traditional court for other offenders, to address root causes of crime and decrease reoffending
Opportunity for reinvestment
Need efficiencies to reduce costs