The train conductor that parked the train that then ran away and derailed in a fiery explosion that leveled the downtown core of a small Quebec town wants his case thrown out because a trial is taking too long.
Engineer Tom Harding faces 47 charges of criminal negligence causing death in connection with the 2013 train crash in Lac-Megantic.
His trial is currently slated to start next September, well past the three-year maximum the Supreme Court outlined for provincial court cases in a recent ruling.
Since the SCC ruling in July, many accused of crimes—even those facing life in prison for first degree murder—have walked free because a trial has taken too long.
In September the case against Salvatore Cazzetta, the Hells Angel accused of gangsterism and conspiracy to commit fraud, was dismissed after the judge found six years between an arrest and a verdict was too long.
Quebec Justice Minister Stephanie Vallée admits the backlog is becoming problematic.
"Nobody is happy with the fact that people can get out of a situation only because of procedural issues," she said.
The opposition at the National Assembly is putting pressure on the government to deal with court delays.
"We are almost at the point where the public is losing confidence," said PQ leader Jean-Francois Lisée.
Premier Philippe Couillard maintains solving court delays is a top priority, and more resources are coming to help Crown prosecutors speed things up.