WINNIPEG - The Manitoba Court of Appeal is mulling new guidelines to prevent lengthy court delays for parents whose kids have been seized by child welfare agencies.
At a hearing today on one case, Justice William Burnett said it is totally unacceptable for parents to wait 10 months or more for a court date in which they try to regain custody.
Burnett and two other justices upheld a lower court ruling that said the delay in the case, involving parents who cannot be identified under law, violated the Charter of Rights.
The three justices are to deliver a written decision in the coming months that will contain guidelines as to how long a delay is acceptable.
Burnett indicated the decision may allow for flexibility depending on the circumstances of each case instead of a firm number of weeks or months.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs told the hearing the long delays harm indigenous children by removing them from their culture for long periods at a young age.
