Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will pass to director Bancroft, please.
I will go to the director.
The two positions that the Member noted there, one would be the correctional officer, North Slave Correctional Centre in Yellowknife. The other being a probation officer in Deline. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Okay. No further questions, then. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. Is there any further questions on this line item? Okay, continuing on. No further questions, please turn to page 307.
Justice, corrections services, $39,732,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, moving on to court services, beginning on page 310, with information items on page 312. Are there any questions?
Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, what is the current backlog of jury trials in the Northwest Territories?
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, that's not data that we have in front of us but happy to get that number for the Member. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go to the Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that follow-up -- or I will appreciate that follow-up.
The main estimates propose a $1.68 million decrease in amortization for court services. Can you explain why this adjustment has been made.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will go to the director.
I will go to the director.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The reduction there in amortization is as a result of a single project within the Yellowknife Courthouse which had to be amortized in line with the pending end of the lease of the courthouse, and that was in relation to accessibility in washrooms. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go back to the Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do remember that project now that they mention it.
Next question: A Yellowknife Courthouse security post for the sheriff officer has been included as adjustment in the main estimates. Can you provide details on how this will support current court services and why it's necessary. Thank you.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will pass that to the director.
Thank you. I will go to the director.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The sheriff position was added this year following a security assessment which highlighted security gaps within the operation of the Yellowknife courthouse, and this is one of the many protocols that we put in place to address those gaps. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Frame Lake.
Excellent, thank you, Mr. Chair. I am happy to hear that they've addressed that gap. I think that's it for questions from me on this page. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister explain what is the position being lost in the South Slave? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
That's a court officer. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Okay. And there is a very significant reduction in the budget for court administration. Can the Minister explain how we get from $2.6 million to a budget of $941,000 in this coming year? Thank you.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's a change in amortization. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Okay, thank you for clarifying that. And then, finally, I just wanted to clarify, so the role of enforcing evictions, does that fall exclusively on the sheriff's office? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, the sheriff's role in the process is to deliver the decision of the Court. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. So who are the officers that are authorized to actually, like, enforce an eviction if, you know, the person is not leaving voluntarily? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Perhaps I wasn't clear in my earlier response. That is the role of the sheriff's office, and they can ask for assistance from the RCMP to enforce the eviction notice. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Okay. Do the sheriff officers receive special training in order to conduct those evictions, and are there established sort of standards and protocols in place as to how that is to be carried out? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the training required to do that work is part of the training package that all of the sheriffs receive. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. But just to clarify, is -- does the sheriff's office have a specific written protocol or standards that lay out exactly how an eviction's enforcement is to be handled or carried out on the ground? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So it's part of their overall internal process of how the sheriff's office would carry out that work. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Member from Yellowknife North.
