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Crown attorneys, clerks and others in the Alberta justice system are warning provincial budget cuts risk adding more backlogs to an already strained system.

The Alberta justice ministry’s operating budget, released last month as part of the provincial fiscal plan, calls for a nearly seven per cent decrease in spending between the previous fiscal year and 2022-23.

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In total, the department’s budget — which covers everything from jails to legal aid to prosecutors to government lawyers — is expected to shrink from $1.45 billion to $1.35 billion.

The UCP government argues this can be done by modernizing labour-intensive court procedures, including digitizing services as part of an “eCourts” system. It has also set aside money to hire 50 additional Crown prosecutors, and increased funding for drug treatment courts.

“This is not about eliminating positions,” the ministry said in a statement. “This is about a more user-friendly justice system that will better help Albertans effectively deal with their legal issues.”