Manitoba Crown attorneys say as workload mounts, province standing pat

Crown attorneys in Manitoba say they are overworked and the provincial government is not taking action to address the problem.

The Manitoba Association of Crown Attorneys (MACA) says it filed a grievance with the Manitoba government back in April 2023 to address dangerously heavy caseloads carried by Crown attorneys.

But the grievance won’t be heard until October 2025, and the association says nothing is being done in the meantime.

“This government has failed to take meaningful action to address the workload problem for Crown attorneys in Manitoba,” MACA President Christian Vanderhooft said in a statement.

“At the same time, the expectations put on prosecutors and complexity of the work done by them has never been more intense.”

The surge in cases is being credited to a rise in crime, but also more complicated cases, inadequate staffing and stricter timelines for hearing criminal matters.

The association says it has also lost attorneys recently to B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan, due to better pay.

“If this government is serious about protecting Manitobans and their communities, it must commit to providing the support and resources needed to prosecute crime,” Vanderhooft said.

“If the province does not move on this, we will continue to lose experienced prosecutors to other provinces and push the system past its limits.

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We need leadership from the government to keep our streets safe. All Manitobans depend on it.”

In a statement to Global News, Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe says since forming government, they’ve hired 30 more attorneys and signed a new deal that significantly improves compensation to help keep Crown attorneys in the province.

“For years, the previous government disrespected our Crowns,” Wiebe said.  “We’re taking a different approach and are committed to working in partnership with Crown attorneys on recruitment and retention strategies, supporting them in their critical work to keep Manitobans safe.”

Wiebe also says to reduce court delays, they’ve reduced court clerk vacancies across the province, including by 85 per cent in Winnipeg.