It is anything but business as usual in the justice system in Windsor.
Day-to-day operations in criminal courts are being done over the phone, with most matters dealing with out-of-custody accused being simply adjourned 10 weeks.
"We are still managing to deal with matters with people who are custody, we are doing that sort of court work over the phone,” says Windsor defence lawyer John Liddle. “It has moved us forward in terms of using technology to get the job done."
Trials have been delayed and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice says it won't resume regular operations until September, at the earliest, but Liddle says select cases are moving forward.
"I have done a bail hearing where the crown was opposed to bail, we did that over the phone, we were on the phone as well as my witnesses."
Liddle says things may change in the future, after the pandemic is over.
"It has forced us in the criminal justice system, defence, crown, court staff to rethink the way we handle cases and whether a personal appearance by an accused is absolutely required any longer,” he says.
Liddle also points out that anyone who is arrested now is having their first appearance in court scheduled for late summer.
He says the pandemic does have the potential of making an already backlogged system worse, but they need to keep in mind a person's right to a fair trial in a reasonable time period.