Justice
April 26, 2007
BACKGROUNDER
Government to Implement Entire Lamer Report Recommendations
In response to the Lamer Report, the Williams
Government is investing $4.9 million over three years to implement all
45 of Judge Antonio Lamer�s recommendations in the areas of policing,
legal aid and courts services. An initial investment of $2 million will
be made in Budget 2007.
The Lamer investments over three years will include:
$1.5 million for public prosecutions including
money for additional training, support staff in Corner Brook and
Gander offices, and eight additional prosecutors to service the
province. In addition, the Articling Program will be reinstated;
$2.2 million for the Royal Newfoundland
Constabulary (RNC). This includes funding for 16 additional
officers, with 14 dedicated toward a mobile support unit to aid
investigations and two officers for the forensic identification
section, and equipment and training for the technical investigation
unit. The RNC will also have nine additional civilian positions.
These include resources to improve overall major case management and
dedicated legal counsel to offer advice on cases and identify
potential legal and evidentiary problems;
$815,800 for legal aid services to address the
fundamental issue of access to justice, to hire more lawyers, more
legal secretaries to improve administration of the service and to
commence an articling program to assist in complex cases. Funding is
also provided for the translation of legal aid materials to French,
Innu and Inuit and for training and retention of experts;
$75,000 to create two provincial court officer
positions to address the time delays of preparing transcripts; and,
$50,000 for legal information management to
increase legal research and resource materials dedicated to
prosecutors.
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Media contact:
Deborah Pennell
Director of Communications
Department of Justice
709-729-6985, 685-6612
deborahpennell@gov.nl.ca
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