Sask. justice ministry to use $271-million budget for traffic safety courts, case readiness unit

In 2025–26, the government plans to invest $31.7 million in interpersonal violence programs and services through the justice system, including $328,000 in second-stage housing and $720,000 in community-based organizations, including those that support and offer services to those impacted by interpersonal violence and abuse, the news release said.

The justice ministry said that it would invest $3.38 million in upgrades and infrastructure as a part of its court modernization project, including through the implementation of a province-wide judicial scheduling, tracking, and amalgamated reporting system.

These upgrades aim to enable court users to make use of an electronic system of communication and submission of case documents, to make Saskatchewan’s courts more efficient, and to improve access to justice more broadly, the news release said.

Initiatives funded

According to the provincial government’s news release, the 2025–26 budget for Saskatchewan’s justice ministry and attorney general includes the following investments:

• $822,000 in Public Prosecutions to accommodate the introduction of body-worn cameras by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to expand the use of such cameras by the Saskatoon Police Service, and to support the processing and review of the video evidence produced
• $665,000 as initial funding in support of expanding traffic safety courts, with new locations to be opened and with police prosecutors to be replaced by civilian prosecutors
• $447,000 as part of a commitment to develop municipal bylaw court hubs, which seek to streamline and improve the enforcement of municipal bylaws
• 239,000 in the Case Readiness Unit to tackle heavy caseloads and to prioritize complex criminal case files
• $188,000 in additional funding – for a total funding of $1.1 million – for the serious incident response team’s expansion to improve police oversight and accountability
• $205,000 in increased funding for the Fine Option Program, which aims to hold individuals accountable for provincial offenses and to offer an alternative to those who cannot afford fines

“Investing in justice programs will protect Saskatchewan people and deliver on our commitment to create safer communities,” the news release said.