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The Alberta government says it’s being forced to implement a “triage” system for Crown prosecutors and bump up funding for legal aid due to pressures on an overburdened court system.

And while the federal government announced seven new judges for the Court of Queen’s Bench and Court of Appeal in Alberta on Thursday, provincial Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley said more positions on the bench need to be filled by Ottawa.

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In a Thursday news conference at McDougall Centre, Ganley announced new measures as the province faces the consequences of the Supreme Court of Canada’s Jordan decision, which set out new guidelines for what constitutes a reasonable time for trial.

Charges in an Edmonton murder trial were stayed last month because it had taken more than five years to come to trial, and there are currently six other Jordan applications before Alberta courts, said Ganley.

The minister said prosecutors will focus on ensuring that cases such as aggravated assault, sexual assault and murder, as well as other serious charges, are dealt with quickly.