Assessing the Impact of Case Complexity: An Analysis of Court Processing Time in British Columbia

• In Event: Court Efficiency and Innovative Strategies

Abstract

The objective of criminal courts is to provide just and timely judgment for every case that is heard before them. Unfortunately, delay is a common problem in many justice systems around the world; this can have significant social and economic consequences. Charges may be stayed or withdrawn when statutory rights are violated, an accused may be held in custody for an unwarranted period of time if a scheduled trial is postponed, witness testimony may become deflated if scheduled trials are too distant, and government bodies may face greater economic burdens if required to expand court operations to accommodate increasing demands. Understanding the impact of case complexity on processing time is key to developing effective operational policies and procedures to prevent such consequences. This paper sets out to explore the impact of case complexity on processing time in the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada. Drawing from a large database that includes appearance-level case detail, the study assesses the impact of a range of indicators for case complexity on processing time. Policy implications of the results are discussed in relation to the development of performance measures in the current reform-period of BC’s justice system.

Authors

• Andrew Reid, Simon Fraser University

• David MacAlister, Simon Fraser University

• Martin Andresen, Simon Fraser University