Manitoba Crown attorneys facing high caseload, calls for changes to bail hearings

Crown attorneys in Manitoba are calling for changes, saying they are getting snowed under with needless paperwork in provincial court bail hearings.

The Manitoba Association of Crown Attorneys says prosecutors currently have to sift through mounds of reports and records to prepare for bail hearings.

But while they have to prepare for a multitude of cases, a select few ever make it before a judge.

They are asking Premier Wab Kinew’s government to make rule changes so that prosecutors are given a day’s notice before bail hearings they contest go before a judge.

The association says that would be a much better use of time, allowing them to focus on a smaller number of hearings.

The group says this would also match what other provinces are already doing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2025.