Judges need different options when cases exceed deadlines, Justice Minister says

Justice Minister Sean Fraser says judges need to consider different options when criminal cases exceed strict deadlines to complete trials but what such a shift should look like in practice must be decided by the courts.

The federal government in recent months tabled several bills to bolster public safety. Among them was a bill last week that proposed a range of measures to toughen the Criminal Code, including changes to increase penalties for violence against women and address the challenge of cases derailed by court delays.