Fort Macleod Municipal Courts. (Supplied by Courthouses.com)

By David Opinko

Number of crown prosecutors being trained in Alberta to double, focus on rural communities

Nov 25, 2019 | 10:32 AM

EDMONTON, AB – The Government of Alberta is taking a step towards creating more crown prosecutors in the province.

As part of their commitment to hire 50 new crown prosecutors, they will be doubling the number of articling students from eight to 16 each year.

Articling students are law school graduates who gain practical experience working alongside crown prosecutors.

“Albertans deserve a better justice system, one that protects them, their loved ones and their property,” says Justice Minister and Solicitor General Doug Schweitzer. “As part of our commitment to give the justice system the tools and resources it needs, we will be immediately doubling the number of articling students hired by the government.”

By doing this, the government also hopes to allow current crown prosecutors to focus on more high-priority duties.

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The province will emphasize placing the articling students in rural communities and smaller judicial districts.

“Positions will be held for students from rural Alberta who wish to live there and incentives will be offered to students who wish to stay working for the Crown in rural areas,” reads a media release from the Government of Alberta.

The incentives include relocation expenses, financial perks under the Premium Pay Directive, and a commitment to ensure those who complete their articles can remain as crown prosecutors in the communities they trained in.

By 2021, Schweitzer looks to bolster the number of articling students to 20.