Complex Cases Surge in BC Supreme Court

By Mata Press Service

The Supreme Court of British Columbia is managing a record-high number of long and complex criminal cases, a development that is severely straining court capacity and disrupting access to justice across the province.

In 2024, the Court recorded 29 cases managed under Criminal Practice Direction 3 (CPD-3), which addresses trials that are exceptionally long or complex. That figure marks the highest in five years, nearly doubling the 2022 total of 11 cases.

“These cases require significant judicial, administrative, and court resources from the time of the accused person’s first appearance... through to the end of the process,” the report stated. “The high demands of these cases reduce the resources available for the Court’s other work”.

These matters often involve “multiple accused persons, serious charges (e.g., murder, organized crime offences, terrorism), extensive evidence... numerous pre-trial applications and voir dire hearings, special security measures, and risks of delays”.

The surge in complex criminal trials coincides with a sharp increase in criminal jury trials.

In 2024, 282 jury trials were scheduled, and 72 proceeded — up from just 35 in 2019. Many involved sexual offences, which “have increased significantly in number in recent years” and “require more court time than non-jury trials”.

Meanwhile, civil and family cases are also feeling the impact of limited judicial availability. 19.1% of long chambers applications were bumped in 2024, up from 16.3% in 2023. The report identified Vancouver as the area with the highest bumping rate at 16.9%, well above the 10-year provincial average of 9.1%.

“The principal cause of bumping is a mismatch of the volume of applications... and the availability of judges and associate judges,” the Court acknowledged. The delays create “burden and disruption” including “expense of wasted preparation time, travel costs for witnesses and experts, and the general stress and anxiety that the lack of certainty brings”.The Court is addressing these pressures through digital innovation and scheduling reform. In 2024, it expanded the Courts Online Booking System (COBS) to allow litigants to book civil and family trials within a flexible seven-day window rather than on a single monthly date. This update “does not increase the supply of available court dates,” the report noted, but improves efficiency and fairness in trial date allocation.

Despite challenges, 2024 saw some improvement in judicial capacity. Seventeen new justices and one associate judge were appointed, and a new Chief Justice was sworn in. These additions filled many vacancies left by retirements and appointments to the Court of Appeal. Still, as of December 31, three judicial vacancies remained.

“Despite these appointments, the impact of having been chronically short of the full-time complement continues to affect access to timely and effective justice for all British Columbians,” the Court reported. “Chronic judicial vacancies... place an unfair and unsustainable burden on the Court’s internal staff resources”.

2024 Key Statistics and Highlights

29 complex criminal trials— highest since tracking began.

72 criminal jury trials proceeded (out of 282 scheduled) — up from 35 in 2019.

863 total trials heard, compared to 854 in 2023.

116 trials were bumped, though this was a reduction from the previous year.

19.1% bump rate for long chambers applications — highest in a decade.