January 30, 2012 – Chilliwack – John Martin, BC Conservative Justice Critic and candidate in the Chilliwack-Hope by-election, reacted to the news that Interim Attorney General Shirley Bond does not know the cost impact of the federal crime bill on the BC government.
 
“Shirley Bond has been the interim Attorney General since last August and is clearly in over her head,” said Martin. “Bond also serves as the full-time Solicitor General. A seasoned lawyer, Barry Penner cited the tremendous workload of being Attorney General and the amount of time it took away from his family when he resigned.  Yet Shirley Bond is supposed to handle the important and complex duties of Attorney General off the side of her desk?”
 
“Unlike the previous Attorney General who had both a law degree and legal experience, Bond has no legal training or experience in criminal justice.  It shows.  Unable to offer any remedies for a crumbling justice system, Shirley Bond is now passing the buck and blaming judges and prosecutors for her government’s sorry record.”
 
“All British Columbians are now paying the price for this government refusing to take the state of criminal justice seriously.  The justice system is in disarray with a backlog of thousands of cases that are likely to be dismissed altogether.”
 
As reported in the Vancouver Sun on January 27, 2012 Samiran Lakshman, head of the B.C. Crown Counsel Association, said the system is reaching an all-time low. “People who have been in the justice system for decades say this is as bad as they’ve ever seen it,” he said. “It’s a symptom of the systematic stripping of funding resources.”
 
“British Columbia’s Conservatives demand that this Liberal government start taking the sorry state of criminal justice in this province seriously.  They can begin by appointing a full time Attorney General who knows their way around the justice system,” continued Martin.
 
“Under a BC Conservative administration, public safety and law and order would be a significant priority and the justice system will have the resources to ensure that criminal cases are dealt with in an efficient and timely manner. British Columbians do not deserve to have their safety and well-being put at risk by a government that is clearly unable to get its house in order.”

Media Contact:
Jim Mitchell
604-355-8152
conservatives@bcconservative.ca