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Alberta’s legal system is in a crisis that may become irreversible if the right steps to fix it aren’t taken, a group of prominent lawyers say in an open letter to Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer.

In the letter, published in the winter edition of the Alberta branch of the Canadian Bar Association’s Law Matters magazine, five lawyers representing counsel across the province say spending cuts aren’t the answer.

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“Dear Minister: We are in a crisis,” begins the letter, written by CBA Alberta branch president Ola Malik, president of the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association Ian Savage and others.

It says while Schweitzer’s government didn’t create the problem, it falls on them to fix it.

“This crisis is on the verge of being irreversible. And we’re here to help.”

The letter says cuts in spending, ones already in place and potential upcoming budgetary measures, will only make matters worse.

“Cutting funding to core services and programs in the fall of 2019, including the $5 million cut to Legal Aid Alberta without any prior consultation with its board of directors, has unintended consequences that will ultimately cost more than it saves,” the lawyers wrote.