ANNUAL REPORT 2011 - 2012 Provincial Court of British Columbia TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from the Chief Judge ...................................................................................................................................4 Our Mission ................................................................................................................................................................5 Our Vision ...................................................................................................................................................................5 Core Values .................................................................................................................................................................5 Goals ...........................................................................................................................................................................5 Updates on Key Justice Reform Initiatives .................................................................................................................6 Provincial Court Scheduling Project .......................................................................................................................6 BC Justice Reform Initiative ....................................................................................................................................7 Sitting Locations of the provincial Court (By District) ................................................................................................8 Jurisdiction of the Provincial Court ............................................................................................................................9 Our Judiciary ...............................................................................................................................................................9 Judges .....................................................................................................................................................................9 Judicial Appointments – 2011/12 .......................................................................................................................9 Judicial Retirements and Senior Judge Program – 2011/12 ............................................................................ 10 Gender Distribution of Provincial Court Judges – 2011/12 ............................................................................. 10 Age Distribution of Provincial Court Judges – 2011/12 ................................................................................... 11 Seniority of Provincial Court Judges – 2011/12 ............................................................................................... 11 Judicial Justices .................................................................................................................................................... 11 Gender Distribution of Judicial Justices ........................................................................................................... 11 Justice of the Peace Adjudicators ........................................................................................................................ 12 Judicial Case Managers ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Administration of the Provincial Court .................................................................................................................... 12 The Court’s Website and Judgment Database ........................................................................................................ 13 Access to Justice in the Provincial Court ................................................................................................................. 13 Chart 1 - Total Judge Complement 2008 – 2012 ............................................................................................. 14 The Court’s Caseload ............................................................................................................................................... 15 Chart 2 – New Cases by Division (2004/05 – 2010/11) ................................................................................... 15 Chart 3 – Judge Complement and Total Cases per Judge (2004/05 – 2010/11) ............................................. 16 Province-wide delays ............................................................................................................................................... 16 Chart 4 – Adult Criminal Caseload Pending Over 180 Days............................................................................. 17 1 Chart 5 – Province-Wide Court Delays ............................................................................................................ 18 Locations with the Longest Delays .......................................................................................................................... 19 Chart 6 – Adult Criminal ½ Day Trial Delays .................................................................................................... 19 Chart 7 – Adult Criminal 2 Day Trial Delays ..................................................................................................... 20 Chart 8 – Family Court Delays ......................................................................................................................... 20 Chart 9 – Child Protection Delays .................................................................................................................... 21 Chart 10 – Civil ½ Day Trial Delays ................................................................................................................... 21 Chart 11 – Civil 2 Day Trial Delays ................................................................................................................... 22 Addressing the Needs of the Citizens of British Columbia ...................................................................................... 22 Vancouver's Downtown Community Court ......................................................................................................... 22 Victoria’s Integrated Court .................................................................................................................................. 23 First Nations Court ............................................................................................................................................... 23 First Nations Sentencing Court ............................................................................................................................ 23 Drug Treatment Court of Vancouver (DTCV) ....................................................................................................... 24 Cowichan Valley Domestic Violence Court Project ............................................................................................. 24 Kelowna Community Justice Project ................................................................................................................... 25 Video Bail and Other Hearings ............................................................................................................................ 25 Bail Reform Project .............................................................................................................................................. 25 Reforms in the Civil Division ................................................................................................................................ 25 Public and Media Access to the Court ................................................................................................................. 26 The Provincial Court’s Committee Work ................................................................................................................. 26 Judges’ Education Committee ............................................................................................................................. 26 Judicial Justices’ Education Committee ............................................................................................................... 27 Judicial Justice Review ......................................................................................................................................... 27 Judicial Education Review Committee ................................................................................................................ 28 Emergency Planning Committee ......................................................................................................................... 28 Senior Judge Program Review Committee .......................................................................................................... 28 Financial Report ....................................................................................................................................................... 30 Maintaining Confidence in the Justice System ........................................................................................................ 31 Appendix 1 Judicial independence ....................................................................................................................... 33 Appendix 2 Judicial Officers as of March 31, 2012 ............................................................................................... 37 Judges