News Release

For Immediate Release
December 6, 2007

Over 150 Crown Attorneys Added Since 2003

BRAMPTON — The McGuinty government is making our communities safer by hiring 40 new full-time Crown attorneys and 15 new full-time support staff across the province, Attorney General Chris Bentley announced today at the former Peel County Courthouse.

"Our Crown attorneys make dozens of decisions each day in pursuit of justice," said Bentley. "These additional people will make our criminal justice system more effective, adding to our capacity to prosecute more than half a million charges every year."

Nine of the 40 additional Crown attorneys will be assigned to Brampton in response to the Peel Region's growing population, bringing their total number of Crowns to 55. The addition of these new resources will help ensure Ontario's court system continues to operate smoothly in response to more charges, more complex cases and demographic shifts. The new prosecutors are expected to be in place early in the New Year.

"Provincial funding has already put more police officers on the street," said Peel Region Police Chief Mike Metcalf. "Our officers work hard each day to enforce laws and keep our community safe. The addition of more prosecutors will help ensure that our work is carried through the justice system efficiently."

Since 2003, the McGuinty government has added more than 150 new Crown attorneys, including:

• Seventy-two guns and gangs taskforce Crown attorneys
• Six new anti-gun smuggling Crowns who will work province-wide
• Eight new high-risk offender Crowns who will work province-wide.

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