Archived Announcements

The current agreement between the Government of Alberta and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees includes a provision for Christmas closure. The Court of Appeal of Alberta will be closed on December 24, 2022 through January 2, 2023. On December 29, and 30, 2022 the Court of Appeal will hear only emergency applications. Any material that would ordinarily be filed on those days can be filed on January 3, 2023.

Covid-19 prevention measures remain in force.

Effective May 24, 2022, social distancing requirements and related capacity limits due to COVID‑19 will be rescinded in some courtrooms in Alberta as noted below. While social distancing in those courtrooms will no longer be required, it is, nevertheless, still encouraged. We stress that social distancing and capacity limits remain in effect in all Provincial Court courtrooms until further notice. All restrictions in relation to masking, vaccination policies and the current use of Plexiglass remain in effect until further notice.

Join the Chief Justice of Alberta, Justices, and senior staff of the Court of Appeal for a discussion on current and future state of court operations, including virtual and hybrid hearings, appeal conferences and JDRs, public access to court records and more. We welcome your input on these topics at this time.

The purpose of this Notice is to advise that, due to short-term operational challenges, unless otherwise directed, all appeal sittings, applications before three‑judge panels and Bar Admissions will continue to be heard electronically until April 29, 2022. Appeal Conferences, Judicial Dispute Resolution matters and single judge matters will continue to be heard electronically until further notice.

The 2023 Court of Appeal Sitting Dates are attached.

Throughout the COVID–19 pandemic, courthouses across the province have been operating under restrictions designed to ensure the safety of all participants. Given the unique position of the Courts, where persons who attend are often compelled to do so, and where vulnerable segments of the population attend, there is an ongoing need to continue with the restrictions and policies presently in place until further notice.

The purpose of this Notice is to advise that, unless otherwise directed, all appeal sittings, applications before three-judge panels and Bar Admissions will continue to be heard electronically until March 25, 2022 with a return to in-person starting March 28, 2022. Appeal Conferences, Judicial Dispute Resolution matters and single judge matters will continue to be heard electronically until further notice.

Unless otherwise directed, all appeal sittings, applications before three‑judge panels, applications before a single judge and Bar Admissions will continue to be heard electronically until February 25, 2022; and Appeal Conferences and Judicial Dispute Resolution matters will continue to be heard electronically until further notice.

The purpose of this Notice is to advise that, unless otherwise directed, all proceedings - including applications before a single judge, Appeal Conferences, Appellate Judicial Dispute Resolution and Bar Admissions - will continue to be heard electronically by videoconference or teleconference until January 1, 2022.

The Courts now provide notice that effective November 1, 2021, all Court staff, including clerks and court technology personnel, and Sheriffs must be fully vaccinated to access courtrooms in Alberta courthouses. Full details are included in the attached notice.

The Court of Appeal of Alberta, the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta and the Provincial Court of Alberta (the Courts) have a responsibility to provide a safe workspace that protects the health and safety of individuals who work in, visit, or attend the Courts’ workspaces. Accordingly, the Courts have adopted mandatory Vaccination Policies which will be in effect as of Tuesday, September 21, 2021. These Policies apply to all secure areas of courthouses used by judicial officers and certain staff to which public access is restricted. Full details are included in the attached notice.

Effective November 1, 2021, the Court of Appeal will resume in-person proceedings for all appeal sittings and applications before three-judge panels. Full details are included in the attached notice.

Access to all courthouses in Alberta will continue to be restricted in accordance with the Courts’ Notice dated November 27, 2020 until further notice. The mask requirements set out in the Courts’ Notice dated July 3, 2020 will continue to apply to individuals attending at courthouses, subject to the exceptions noted therein. Anyone claiming a medical or disability exemption from the masking requirement must provide proof thereof. For those who do not have a face mask, one can be obtained from perimeter security at the entrance to the courthouse. All current protocols relating to physical distancing and courtroom capacity will continue until further notice.

In light of the ongoing public health crisis caused by the pandemic, access to all courthouses in Alberta continues to be restricted, and masks continue to be mandatory for visitors. Full details are included in the attached notices.

The 2022 Court of Appeal sitting dates are now available. Details and the list of dates are included in this notice.

Alberta Chief Justice Catherine A. Fraser's message on the March 29, 2021, announcement by the Government of Alberta that Budget 2021 includes $57.3 million to construct a new, state-of-the-art Court of Appeal building in the Calgary courts precinct. The project will also revise and incorporate the city's 107-year-old historic Court of Appeal Building. In addition to commenting on the benefits of the project for the province, the Chief Justice touches on the history of the old building and it's significance to the Court and the city.

Effective March 15, 2021, the Court of Appeal of Alberta Practice Direction on Electronic Filling is amended. Details of the amendments are included in this notice.