April 28, 2006

Manitoba’s provincial court Domestic Violence Front End Project has won the 2006 United Nations Public Service Award for improving service delivery, Chief Judge Raymond Wyant and Attorney General Gord Mackintosh announced today.

The award recognizes best practices and innovation with real and broad impacts in the public service. There were approximately 200 applicants for this year’s awards from around the globe. Manitoba’s Front End project helps make better use of court time and safeguards victims of domestic violence by making the system work more effectively and efficiently.

"It is very humbling to be recognized on this scale for our efforts in making the provincial court system more effective in processing domestic violence cases," said Wyant. "The honour bestowed by the United Nations belongs to all those who have been a part of this successful initiative and is a testament to their dedication, professionalism and creativity. This award will continue the momentum ensuring ongoing success of the project and any similar initiatives undertaken in the future."

"This international recognition is a testament to the people whose vision, commitment, dedication and innovation gave rise to the project," said Mackintosh. "Working together, we reduced the organizational barriers in the justice system that caused domestic violence cases to drag. Victims of violence are safer, justice comes more swiftly to those who offend and the public is better served today as a result."

"Your outstanding achievement demonstrated excellence in serving the public interest," Guido Bertucci, director of public administration and development management for the United Nations Economic and Social Affairs department said in the letter notifying the province of the award. "I am sure it has made a significant contribution to the improvement of public administration in your country. It should be an encouragement for others working in the public service."

In the project, the chief of police committed to impose strict disclosure deadlines and a single Crown attorney is assigned to each case when it enters the system. Key to the project are pre-trial co-ordinators who preside in court to ensure that procedural matters are addressed within agreed upon timelines and that in-custody accused are transported from jails to court only when necessary. This frees up judges to deal with meaningful events in court.

Early and consistent contact between the Crown attorney and the victim is a cornerstone of the project. Accused who choose to deal with the causes of the violence also have an earlier opportunity to enter and complete counselling programs.

In the first six months of the project, the time it took for an out-of-custody accused to go from a first court appearance to entering a plea dropped from more than seven months to as little as two months. The time it took from that first appearance to a trial date also dropped by several months. The success of the project has led to the expansion of the approach to other provincial court matters.

The award will be presented at a ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on June 23, 2006.

The project was also awarded the gold medal for innovative management by the Institute of Public Administration of Canada in August 2005. The award recognizes exceptional management in the public service.

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