The chief justice of the British Columbia Supreme Court says all criminal trials that were to take place in Vancouver, Abbotsford, Chilliwack and New Westminster during the FIFA World Cup next year will have to be rescheduled.
Chief Justice Ron Skolrood says in a notice posted Monday that the tournament is expected to have "very significant impacts" on court operations at the affected Supreme Court locations.
The notice says neither jury nor judge-only criminal trials will take place at the four locations from June 12 to July 8, 2026, and that no civil jury trials will take place either.
It says the number of non-jury civil trials may also have to be reduced in the lead up to the tournament. The notice cites the draw on police resources around the Lower Mainland, heavy traffic that will make it difficult for sheriffs to transport suspects, and a potential lack of hotel rooms for jurors and out-of-town witnesses.
Skolrood says the court is committed to having enough capacity for "urgent matters," but the service reductions during the tournament are "unavoidable."
"The full extent of the impacts is uncertain and will remain so for some time," the notice says.
"We do know that the effects on the police and sheriff resources required to participate in or support the court’s operations will be substantial, particularly in respect of criminal trials and jury trials."
In a statement, B.C. Conservatives Attorney General Critic Steve Kooner says the disruptions are due to "poor planning involving policing shortages" and he calls for a review of all the cases impacted by the FIFA World Cup games.
"The public deserve to know how many criminals will walk free because the Premier (David Eby) failed to plan for the world’s largest sporting event,” Kooner says in the statement.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
