Released on May 11, 2009
A video-conferencing system now links the Regina Provincial Court to the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre.
"As a government, we have a mandate to ensure the most efficient and effective use of our resources," Justice Minister and Attorney General Don Morgan said. "This technology is one way of ensuring that we are using our resources prudently to deliver justice and make our communities safer."
Video-conferencing reduces the need to transport prisoners for routine court appearances, allows prisoners in RCMP cells to be dealt with more promptly, reduces the length of docket at busy circuit point locations, allows court at circuit point locations to proceed during bad weather days, and allows counsel to appear by video-link, where appropriate.
Currently, there are video-links between the Saskatoon Provincial Court and the Saskatoon Correctional Centre, between the Prince Albert Provincial Court and the Pelican Narrows RCMP Detachment, between the Meadow Lake Provincial Court and the La Loche and Buffalo Narrows Office Buildings.
In the next fiscal year, the ministry expects to link the Battleford Court of Queen's Bench and Meadow Lake Provincial Court and has plans to install links between a number of provincial circuit points in southern Saskatchewan.
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For more information, contact:
Linsay Rabyj
Justice and Attorney General
Regina
Phone: 306-787-2626
Email: linsay.rabyj@gov.sk.ca