NAPE is hoping the Department of Justice will act swiftly to address staffing issues within the provincial court system – but the solutions won’t come easily.

Last November, the Provincial Court announced the closure of traffic hearings and Contraventions Act cases in St. John’s, Grand Falls-Windsor, and Stephenville for an indefinite period, and the suspension of the Port aux Basques and Baie Verte circuit courts.

No reason was given for the abrupt changes, but NAPE President Jerry Earle says it comes down to staffing.

A working group was formed to examine the issue and come up with solutions, but Earle says recruitment will be tough.

“I can’t say it’s simple,” says Earle, “because when you are short of professionals in the court system…not just the Sherriff’s Officers, but the other court staff…it’s a very competitive environment when it comes to recruitment. We’re trying to find workers to fill multiple vacancies across many sectors and these are not easy to find.”

He says everyone recognizes that highly-skilled workers are needed to keep the system going. He’s hopeful the working group comes up with some solutions that can be implemented as quickly as possible.