The lawyers and notaries that work for the Quebec government are moving into their seventh week on strike, amid a backlog hitting the legal system—and their union says the work stoppage is adding to the delays and is costing the government a pretty penny.
The Quebec Association of Notaries and Lawyers says its work stoppage has already resulted in the postponement of 1462 criminal cases relating to Revenu Québec, which has cost the government $34 million in possible revenue.
According to the union, half of the delayed cases could see a stay of proceedings for unreasonable wait times.
In July, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled on acceptable time limits for provincial court cases. Unless the case is before a provincial superior court, the deadline is 18 months.
The union is at odds with its employer, the Quebec government, over autonomy, both in its role serving the state and in contract negotiations.
Negotiations will resume in the coming days, according to union president Jean Denis.