A new judicial justice has been appointed to the provincial court to reduce the backlog of traffic cases created by the COVID-19 virus.
Catherine Kinahan has been appointed as judicial justice, a judicial officer who exercises authority under various provincial and federal laws.
Kinahan earned her law degree from the University of British Columbia and was called to the bar in 1981. She was a City of Vancouver lawyer from 1985 to 2017 and worked as Crown counsel in Vancouver.
A media release from the Attorney General’s Ministry did not say how many traffic cases are in the backlog or how long it will take to reduce it. During the pandemic, the court introduced staggered start times and is holding some traffic court hearings at post-secondary institutions to help participants maintain physical distancing.
“The appointment of the new judicial justice will help fill the shifts necessary to address the backlog,” said the statement. “This appointment follows the July appointments of three new provincial court judges and reappointment of three senior provincial court judges to increase the capacity of the provincial court and reduce delays.
