60 Hours by Bus

**This featured case is one example of the concerns people have brought to us. Names have been changed to protect the identity of the people involved.

When Andy* was a police officer, he made an arrest in an impaired driving case. He had since retired and moved to another province. Upon receiving the subpoena to testify in court, Andy wrote to the Crown Prosecutor’s office requesting travel expenses. He received no response, so he called. He was told he would be provided with a bus ticket and that he would be charged with contempt if he didn’t appear. The round trip by bus would take 60 hours: 47 hours riding and the other 13 waiting for connections. By car, the trip would take 10-12 hours each way. Neither were good options for Andy, who provided a note from his doctor stating that he had a medical condition that would make these long trips unsafe. The response was unchanged: take the bus.

When he could get no other response, Andy called our office. We advised that he look after his health and book a flight, then file a complaint with the Regional Crown Prosecutor to see what could be done about the expenses. He paid $1,200 for his flight and hotel stay. While in Saskatchewan, he delivered his letter of complaint to the Regional Crown Prosecutor. His complaint was then reviewed and his money refunded.

*Names have been changed to protect identity