eNews
“Monday morning, up early as my mind runs through a list of items - flashlight, food, Criminal Code, book tapes, gloves, Child Support Guidelines , satellite phone and robes. An unusual list for anyone except a judge travelling on a northern circuit.”
Suppose you live in B.C. and need a court order for child or spousal support but the other parent lives in another province or country. How do you get it? British Columbia has made agreements with all the Canadian provinces and territories and several foreign countries to recognize each other’s child and spousal support orders and agreements.
The public and people appearing in court must have confidence in our justice system, and that begins with having confidence in the decisions made in the courtroom. People must be confident that judicial officers have integrity and are impartial and independent.
Sentencing is one of a B.C. Provincial Court judge’s most challenging responsibilities. If a person charged with a criminal offence pleads guilty or is found guilty after a trial, they will be sentenced. In determining a fit sentence, the judge must consider all the information presented in court about the offender and the crime, including:
This week the Provincial Court is launching an initiative to improve the way criminal cases are dealt with in their early stages in the Surrey courthouse. The Court deals with many thousands of new criminal cases in Surrey each year. Managing such a high caseload both fairly and efficiently is a challenge.