Federal Court staff work weekends, on vacation to keep up with cases: chief justice

Chief Justice Alan Diner says the Federal Court is struggling to keep up with a massive surge in immigration cases over the last six years. The court, which handles matters like visa applications and refugee claims, saw a jump from 5,000 to 6,000 cases annually in 2014 to an expected 33,000 this year. Chief Justice Diner reports that judges are working weekends and during holidays to manage the workload, with court staff also working evenings and weekends.

The increase in cases coincides with more immigrants and asylum seekers coming to Canada, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. A new border security bill, C-12, passed in March, adds to the pressure by limiting refugee claims to those made within a year of arrival in Canada. This has already led to over 2,000 applications challenging the law's constitutionality, and a significant rise in requests for deportation stays.

Chief Justice Diner notes that with no change in the number of judges, the Federal Court urgently needs more resources to handle the unprecedented workload.