Attorney General Barry Penner is making no promises about the possibility of appointing even more provincial court judges following the weekend's announcement that five new names have been added to the list.
"We are continuing to appoint new judges and fill vacancies as resources are available," Penner said Monday in an e-mail response.
"Some judges have chosen to retire or work part-time. We continually work with the judiciary on scheduling and other approaches to make the best use of judicial resources given the challenges we are facing."
Even with the most-recent appointments , the total remains well below the number working in British Columbia as little as six years ago.
Where there was the full-time equivalent of 144 judges in 2005, according to the B.C. Office of the Chief Judge, the number now stands at 130.
The full-time equivalent of 5.5 judges will sit in Prince George and hear cases in surrounding communities once Roderick Sutton begins work, compared to six in 2005.
The average cost for a new judge's salary, support staff and operating costs is between $1.4 million and $1.6 million, Penner noted.
"With the current budget pressures facing government, the ministry will operate with its existing staff in the Prince George office for now," Penner said. "The ministry and government are working to locate additional funding for court services throughout the province, while balancing the provincial budget by 2013."
No new staff will be required in Williams Lake, Penner noted, as the appointee there, Marguerite Church, replaces a sitting judge. In all, 14 new judges have been appointed since 2010, he noted.
Previous to Sutton, Ron Tindale was appointed a provincial court judge in February 2010. Since that time, at least three criminal cases in the Prince George area have been dismissed because they took too long to conclude.
