Court Support Services

Court Support for Victims of Crime is one of the services the Slave Lake Victim Services Unit provides. Court support includes services such as:


Court Updates

If you are a victim, our Victim Services office will provide you with Court Outcome Updates from the Court Appearance(s) the accused has attended.  Unless there is a Preliminary Trial, it is not necessary for the victim to attend court until the date and time the victim is required to appear as a witness. It is important that you know what has been happening at the court appearances the accused has to attend. Victim Services can keep track of those appearances and advise you about what has occurred, when the next court date is and when and if a trial will take place.

Court Orientation

Victims who are scheduled to appear in court may have the opportunity to meet at the Slave Lake RCMP Detachment within the month prior to their court appearance. Orientation consists of the following:

  • Slave Lake Courthouse: an optional tour of the court house and of a court room (usually takes approx 30 minutes.)
  • Slave Lake RCMP Detachment: watch a Witness Preparation video and have a Q&A period (usually takes up to an hour, including Q&A period).

Victims/Witnesses are encouraged to read their written statement and/or view their video statement about one week before the trial start date. This is to refresh the victim's memory. However, the RCMP members must give permission first and supply the documents and/or video statement.

Court Accompaniment

This includes the following:

  • Slave Lake VSU accompanies and supports victims and witnesses in court.
  • The support person will sit with the witness while they wait to testify.
  • The support person will also sit in the court room while the witness testifies*.

Due to the nature of some evidence, it is not always in the victim's best interest to have family in the court room while testifying. To ensure victims are not alone during this process, Slave Lake VSU feels it is important to make a support person available.


"Working together helping victims of crime and tragedy."

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