Nunn Commission
On June 29, 2005, the provincial government appointed Justice Merlin Nunn to head a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the release of a youth offender who was convicted under the Youth Criminal Justice Act as the result of a fatal car crash. Commissioner Nunn submitted his report on December 5, 2006, including 34 recommendations.
Case Processing in Nova Scotia Youth Court
Update: June 30, 2009
Processing Volumes
Between 2007-08 and 2008-09, case volumes generally decreased in Nova Scotia. In 2007-08, 1,435 cases were processed in youth court. In 2008-09, 1,347 cases were processed, representing a decrease of 6% (88 cases) over the previous year. Case volumes decreased in seven out of 12 courts.
Halifax, which represents 33% of the case volume in the province, experienced an increase in case volume, up 50 cases. This represents an increase of 13% over the previous year. Truro also experienced an increase in case volume, up 29% (26 cases) over last year.
Similar to overall case volumes, the number of single and multiple charge cases are down in 2008-09. Single charge cases are down 41 cases (-8%), while multiple charge cases are down by 47 cases (-5%).
Halifax experienced an increase in single charge cases (up 15 cases) and multiple charge cases (up 35 cases). Truro also experienced an increase in multiple charge cases (up 17 cases). Multiple charge cases are more complex and typically take longer to process.
Processing Times
The average elapsed time from the accused’s first appearance in youth court until the final disposition increased in 2008-09. In 2007-08, the average time elapsed was 128 days and in 2008-09 it had increased to 142 days. This represents an increase of 14 days (10%). Case processing times are up 14 days for single charge cases (13%) and 13 days (9%) for multiple charge cases. Case processing times are up in six of 12 courts across the province.
Of significance is the increase in case processing times in Halifax, up 32 days overall, up 44 days for single charge cases and up 29 days for multiple charge cases. Other substantial increases in time were noted in Yarmouth, Digby and Port Hawkesbury. In total, the four areas of the province which experienced notable increases in case processing times represent approximately 45% of the case volume in the province in 2008-09.
Case processing times decreased in six courts. In particular, case processing times were down in Antigonish, Sydney, Bridgewater, and Truro.
Nova Scotia excludes restorative justice cases and bench warrants when calculating the time it takes to process a youth from first hearing to disposition. Restorative Justice is excluded because on average, it takes over 200 days for an offender to successfully complete the program and this can artificially inflate the overall processing times. Bench warrants are excluded because, once issued by the Court, the Court cannot control how long it takes to have that warrant executed.
For more information contact Judith McPhee, Executive Director, Policy and Information Management, at (902) 424-2691.