Bonnardel resigns, prosecutors dealing with Jordan Ruling, landfills to test for PFAS

Quebec prosecutors detail issues with Jordan Ruling Quebec prosecutors are seeing cases dropped or pleaded down due to a Supreme Court ruling from 10 years ago that put a strict time limit on criminal trials, CBC News reported. The 2016 Jordan ruling states that accused people have a right to be tried in a reasonable [...] The post Bonnardel resigns, prosecutors dealing with Jordan Ruling, landfills to test for PFAS appeared first on The Equity .

Quebec prosecutors detail issues with Jordan Ruling Quebec prosecutors are seeing cases dropped or pleaded down due to a Supreme Court ruling from 10 years ago that put a strict time limit on criminal trials, CBC News reported. The 2016 Jordan ruling states that accused people have a right to be tried in a reasonable timeframe, which works out to 18 months in a provincial court and 30 months in a superior court. However, prosecutors say these constraints have added a layer of complication to their work, and have led to cases being thrown out.

“On the wider spectrum, [the Jordan framework] is a positive decision. That being said, there’s a downside to it. The problem is that the resources did not follow,” said Olivier Charbonneau, the vice-president of the union representing public prosecutors in Quebec.

The report states that crown prosecutors have stayed charges in 350 cases since 2023 due to constraints imposed by the ruling. Charbonneau said that due to a lack of resources, they’ve had to prioritize cases with vulnerable victims, such as children. “We have to make heartbreaking decisions every day,” he said.

The union estimates that at least 100 more prosecutors need to be hired to meet demand. Quebec’s Justice Minister’s office said it has increased the ministry’s budget by 96 per cent since 2018, and increased the number of prosecutors during this time period by 30 per cent. CAQ minister Bonnardel resigns Yet another CAQ minister has announced that they will not be seeking re-election in this fall’s provincial contest, as Immigration Minister François Bonnardel made his decision public on Monday, CBC News reported.

The news was first reported by TVA . Bonnardel, who has served six terms in the National Assembly, will complete his current mandate as MNA for Granby. Prior to taking on the immigration file, Bonnardel was Minister of Public Security and Minister of Transport.

Several prominent members of the CAQ cabinet have announced their exit from political life, with former Premier François Legault resigning in January, as well as more recently, Labour Minister Jean Boulet and Minister for the Outaouais Mathieu Lacombe. Quebec landfills to test for ‘forever chemicals’ The Quebec government is mandating monitoring for a class of synthetic chemicals known as PFAS, released from the province’s landfills into rivers, starting in August, Radio-Canada reported. PFAS are commonly referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ because of their long-lasting presence in the environment, and their harmful effects.

PFAS have long been used in consumer products for things like water-proofing or for non-stick surfaces in kitchen ware. The report notes that by mandating landfills record the amount of PFAS released into watercourses, the ministry can better plan how to impose concentration limits, mitigation and other management measures. The report states that there are currently no standards for landfills or municipalities releasing these chemicals into the environment.

The Conseil des entreprises en technologies environnementales du Québec, which represents several landfill operators in the province, stated that they’ve been asking the government to establish regulations on the chemicals for years, stating they want to collaborate on standards to ensure the public’s safety. The post Bonnardel resigns, prosecutors dealing with Jordan Ruling, landfills to test for PFAS appeared first on The Equity .