“Tired, exhausted”: Crown prosecutors logged nearly 40,000 hours of overtime last year

There are growing concerns about the mental health of Crown prosecutors after they logged nearly 40,000 hours of overtime last year, the highest since 2019.

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“The prosecutors are at the end of their rope,” summarizes M.^e Guillaume Michaud, president of the Association of Criminal and Penal Prosecutors. Mental health is at the heart of our concerns.”

According to data obtained by The Journalmore than 38,000 overtime hours were recorded by prosecutors in 2023-2024, an increase of almost 50% compared to 2019.

Those which were accumulated between April and last November suggest that this plateau will be reached again in 2025.

Representatives of the Crown, who spoke on condition of anonymity, believe that these figures constitute only the tip of the iceberg.

“We have prosecutors who are tired, exhausted […]who are forced to work overtime even though that is not necessarily their intention,” illustrates a lawyer.

This troubling observation is highlighted as a hiring freeze in the public service was announced in October.

Positions left vacant by sick leave or parental leave were therefore not going to be replaced at the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP).

The organization then had an exemption, but still must meet its budgets.

“Excessively difficult”

The DPCP also had to deal with 114 disability absences of more than 5 consecutive days for the current year, which is higher than the results of the previous four years.

The number of resignations has meanwhile doubled, if we include those due to judicial appointments. There have already been 24 in recent months.

“Times are extremely difficult,” exasperates an experienced prosecutor.

According to our sources, the DPCP troops continue to see their workload increase. For example, they are faced with more complex cases, where more requests are debated before the court.

“The consequences are direct on the victims. Are they going to get the service they deserve? I don’t think where we are going,” says Guillaume Michaud.

“Do we want the criminals to get away with it or do we want that when there is a major search in a place, we arrest someone, we find drugs, the population is protected because the process is going to be completed?” he asks himself.

Help

The boss of the DPCP, M^e Patrick Michel, wanted to be reassuring.

An envelope of $3 million over four years to develop psychological support programs will not be affected by the cuts.

“My primary concern when I look at these figures is to see a trend towards an increase in long-term disabilities,” adds M.^e Michael. We will not let the budgetary context jeopardize their psychological health.”

As for overtime, M^e Michel argues, among other things, that the number of hearing days at the Court of Quebec was reduced at a certain point, which could have led to “catching up in 2023-2024”.

He also notes a significant increase in staff at the DPCP since 2019.

Overtime for DPCP prosecutors

2019-2020: 25 378

2020-2021: 20 106

2021-2022: 35 385

2022-2023: 29 561

2023-2024: 38 032

2024-2025*: 25 455

Source: Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions

*April 1 to November 27, 2024

Resignations of permanent and occasional prosecutors and linked to the appointment of a judge

2019-2020: 13

2020-2021: 12

2021-2022: 16

2022-2023: 18

2023-2024: 28

2024-2025*: 24

Source: Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions

*April 1 to November 27, 2024

Absences on disability (more than 5 consecutive days)

2019-2020: 119

2020-2021: 107

2021-2022: 112

2022-2023: 104

2023-2024: 112

2024-2025*: 114

Source: Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions

*April 1 to November 27, 2024