Quebec judge chided for court delays over camouflage pants

Quebec's Crown is questioninga judge's refusal to sit for three days of hearings last month when he objected to howthe special constables providing security in his courtroom were dressed, Radio-Canada has learned.

In a request filed with Quebec Superior Court, the Director of Penal and Criminal Prosecutions says Quebec Judge Court Gilles Garneau acted against the best interests of the justice system when he refused to sit for hearings scheduledDec. 19, 20 and 21because the constableswere wearing brightly coloured camouflage pants.

The camouflage pants are a tactic that's meant to put pressure on theQuebec government as it negotiates a new contract with the special constables' union.

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50 files affected

Garneau'srefusal to sitaffected hearings on 50 filesand left court officials scrambling to reschedule them. Some of those hearings will now only take place in November 2017 a delay of 11 months.

"The judge cited should have taken into consideration the witnesses present, the significant delays incurred, the inconvenience to all parties, [including] the victims and the justice system," the Crown's says in its request.

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Unreasonable delay concerns

The Crown wants the hearings advanced in order to avoid the possibility of some cases being dismissed for unreasonable delays.

In the document, prosecutors Nicolas AbranandDaniel RoyersaidGarneau was unmoved by Crownconcerns related to last year's Jordan decision by the Supreme Court of Canada, which set out fixed time frames for completing trials.

"No, there isdecorum, there are rules and they will be respected, Jordan or not," Garneau replied, according to the document.

Garneau is not the first judge to refuse to sit over the special constables' pant protest. Similar refusalshave taken place going back to2015.

Montreal police have been using the camouflagepant tactic for more than two years in protest over pension reforms.

• Montreal judges refuse to sit as constables protest in jeans and camo pants