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10 O n t h e R a d a r : A d o b e S t o c k / h a r t i n i B C B U S I N E S S . C A M AY 2 0 24 OF TRIALS IN B.C. WERE BUMPED IN 2022 (THE LATEST YEAR DATA WAS AVAILABLE BY PRESS TIME), FROM 13.5% IN 2021. The Lower Mainland was the region with the most bumped trials, accounting for 69% of the province's bumped trials. The Southern Interior region, which includes Kamloops, Kelowna and Vernon, saw an increase in the number of bumped trials in 2022, accounting for 20% of all bumped trials in British Columbia, compared to 8% in 2021. THERE WERE 202 CRIMINAL JURY TRIALS BOOKED TO START IN 2022, VERSUS 154 IN 2021. HOWEVER, JUST 39 , OR 19% , WENT AHEAD AS JURY TRIALS ON THEIR ORIGINAL DATES. ON THE RADAR James acknowledges that criminal matters are likely to be of more importance. But, he stresses, civil cases can also be crucial: consider a single mother seeking support pay ments, for example. While the system does not keep records on how many civil clients give up, James notes that he has seen it happen a lot. "Court is a lot like triage right now," he says. "It's like going to the surgery ward and saying 'Whose leg looks worse? Who's going to bleed out first?' It shouldn't be how we admin ister justice in this province." The shortage of judges causes delays at both ends of the process. Not only are trials and hearings delayed—so are decisions. Fewer judges han dling more cases means more decisions for those overbur dened judges to write. "I have waited over a year for reasons for judgment," James says. Outside of the Lower Mainland, the situation is even more dire. "Kelowna, Kam loops and the north have it worse," says James. "They only have judges certain weeks of the year. Everyone rushes to fill the spaces, and only a frac tion of people get on." Judicial appointments are a federal responsibility and a nationwide problem. "With the greatest respect, the Court finds the Prime Minister and Minister of Justice are simply treading water," Ottawabased Justice Henry Brown wrote in a recent decision. It has previously been suggested by former federal justice minister David Lametti and former B.C. chief justice Robert Bauman that there may be a shortage of suitable candidates. "I have a hard time believing that is the case," Syer says. "I have heard of applicants who would be excellent judges and have been rejected." Still, there are factors that could discourage applicants, Morishita says. One is the increased workload. "There's burnout. I think a lot of peo ple who would be exceptional judges are reluctant to apply. They are expected to travel eight weeks out of the year. So that can create challenges for people who have younger families." Then there's the lifestyle. "When you're a judge, you're a judge 24/7," he explains. "Their schedules are tightly controlled. It does require a fair amount of sacrifice in your daytoday life." Could the backlog be reduced through other means? "I'd love to see mandatory mediation," Syer says, pointing out that mediation had a high success rate in the past, before B.C. courts moved away from the approach. Another pos sible remedy would be the cre ation of more associate judges (formerly known as masters), who can handle matters not requiring a trial. "My concern is people will lose faith," says James. "People are going to think the court system can't be trusted. There's a lack of interest in addressing the problem. It's lawyers who are complain ing about this. Nobody likes lawyers that much, so we don't get a lot of traction." Syer thinks her office mate could be helpful, though. "Sadie is a mediation dog," she says. But, for better or worse, Sadie doesn't judge. GO FIGURE by Michael McCullough SOURCE: 2022 ANNUAL REPORT, SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA FEVER PITCH Vancouver Whitecaps FC's match against Inter Miami on May 25, featuring (fingers crossed) Lionel Messi, is shaping up to be the biggest footy fixture at BC Place since the FIFA Women's World Cup final in 2015 and a foretaste of seven scheduled Men's World Cup games in 2026. Here we take the pulse of the local soccer scene. CAPACITY FOR THE WFC-MIAMI TILT: 54,500 midfield tickets have been advertised for resale on StubHub for as much as $7,830 NOTABLE NIGHTS UNDER THE DOME: JUNE 20 1983 NOV 7 2007 Whitecaps vs. Seattle Sounders, the stadium's first sporting event, attracted 60,342 spectators 48,172 turn out to see the Whitecaps play David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy 16.3%

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