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Lawyers unsure if extra funding can reduce massive caseload at Federal Court
Court officials say the new money may not be enough to ease a caseload that has surged 600% since 2020.
- On Thursday, Chief Justice Paul Diner said the Federal Court lacks details on how $58 million in new funding will be distributed among its stated purposes, despite the recent budget allocation for the Courts Administration Service.
- The Federal Court's caseload has ballooned to nearly 31,000 proceedings as of Sept. 30, with more than 27,000 immigration cases—a 600% increase since 2020 that has overwhelmed existing judicial resources.
- Ottawa-Based immigration lawyer Jacqueline Bonisteel and Toronto-based lawyer Zeynab Moayyed argue that reduced human oversight from new AI tools is pushing routine matters to court, causing 'a great deal of distress' for applicants stuck in the system.
- Justice Minister Sean Fraser's spokesperson, Joannie Fogue, said the funding is meant to 'strengthen the national courts,' with $14.5 million allocated annually, though exact distribution details remain unclear.
- Bonisteel warned the $58 million spread over four years is insufficient to manage the current caseload, noting immigration proceedings can take 'upwards of two years' to resolve given the magnitude of demand.
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27 Articles
The Toronto Star+26 Reposted by 26 other sources
Lawyers unsure if extra funding can reduce massive caseload at Federal Court
OTTAWA - The recent federal budget included $58 million in additional funding court administration but the Federal Court still doesn't have a clear picture of how it can be used
·Toronto, Canada
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Total News Sources27
Leaning Left18Leaning Right0Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution72% Left
Bias Distribution
- 72% of the sources lean Left
72% Left
L 72%
C 28%
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