Today in the House of Assembly, NDP MHA Sheilagh O’Leary (St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi) continued to press government to acknowledge the realities faced by those experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). She called on government to ensure adequate supports are in place to prevent trial delays, and to stop dragging its feet on implementing ankle monitoring for individuals accused of IPV who are out on bail.
A CBC News article this week highlights a case in which a man accused of murdering his partner will now see his trial delayed until 2027 – three years after the woman was found dead – due to a lack of translation services. O’Leary says government must do more to ensure people can access justice in a timely way and that the necessary supports are in place to make that possible.
“Speaker, there is a case currently before the courts involving a man accused of murdering his partner in 2024, with the trial now further delayed until 2027.
When asked, lawyers were told there are issues with the availability of Arabic translators. Advocates are concerned that the Jordan’s Ruling will come into play,” said O’Leary. “So, I ask the Minister: what concrete steps are being taken to expedite translation services and ensure timely access to justice?”
Ankle monitoring for individuals accused of intimate partner violence is already in place in other provinces, where it has shown strong results in improving safety for survivors. O’Leary continued to push for the program to be implemented here, noting it could help protect many women and provide an added layer of accountability for those out on bail.
“Speaker, the accused above was out on bail before allegedly murdering his partner.
It is possible this woman might still be alive today if this province had followed the lead of provinces like PEI and Manitoba by implementing ankle monitoring in cases of intimate partner violence,” said O’Leary. “The work has been done on ankle monitoring in this province, So I ask the Minister, why are we continuing to drag our feet?”