News and Announcements

Induction ceremonies for the 2020 and 2022 King’s Counsel recipients were deferred due to COVID. We are pleased to announce that the Courts are now proceeding with formal ceremonies honouring members of Alberta Bar who were appointed King’s Counsel in 2020 and 2022:

The 2024 Court of Appeal Sitting Dates are attached.

On August 31, 2020, the Court of Appeal launched the Court of Appeal Management System (CAMS) – a case management, document management and electronic filing system for use by lawyers and litigants. In conjunction with the launch of CAMS, the Court issued a Practice Direction on Electronic Filing which provides particulars on registration as a registered user, the submission, filing and formatting requirements of documents filed electronically and other matters related to electronic filing.

Further to the January 13, 2023 announcement regarding Court of Appeal operations, the following update is provided.

Further to the January 4, 2023 announcement regarding Court of Appeal operations, partial power has been restored to the South Tower of the Edmonton Law Courts.

There are a significant number of Forms and Templates posted to the Alberta Court of Appeal’s website and elsewhere that contain references to the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta or Her Majesty the Queen. With the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and section 2.1 of the Court of Queen’s Bench Act, the Court of Queen’s Bench immediately became the Court of King’s Bench. The Alberta government has indicated here that legislation that refers to the Court of Queen’s Bench or Her Majesty will be amended as soon as possible. In the interim period, counsel and litigants are encouraged to adopt the new nomenclature of Court of King’s Bench and His Majesty in filings. However, the Court will continue to accept Forms and other filed documents that refer to the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta or Her Majesty the Queen until further notice.

On behalf of Alberta’s Courts, on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, we extend our heartful sympathies to Her Late Majesty’s eldest son, King Charles III, and to all members of the Royal Family.

The open court principle is a hallmark of any democratic society. Public access to court proceedings fosters many fundamental values including public confidence in the judicial system, understanding of the administration of justice and judicial accountability. The open court principle is inextricably linked to the freedom of expression and freedom of the press as protected by s. 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Included within the open court principle is the public’s right to access court records. The Court of Appeal of Alberta will adopt the attached Policy for Public Access to the Court Record on May 2, 2022.

The Court of Appeal will resume in-person hearings on May 2, 2022 as set out below. As always during the pandemic, the Court is guided by several considerations including the continuing need to ensure the health and safety of all Court participants.

The Government of Canada recently passed legislation to make September 30 a federal statutory holiday called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This is an important step in the truth and reconciliation process. Its purpose is to provide an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools and to honour their survivors, their families and communities.

The Honourable Justice L. Bernette Ho, a Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta in Calgary, is appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal of Alberta to replace Justice J.D.B. McDonald who elected supernumerary judge effective August 31, 2018. The Honourable Justice Anne Kirker, a Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta in Calgary, is appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal of Alberta to replace Justice B.K. O’Ferrall who elected supernumerary judge effective March 3, 2021.

On behalf of the Alberta judiciary, we applaud the lawyers and law students for their bravery in sharing their experiences of racial discrimination as part of the “My Experience” Project. The experiences related contain uncomfortable but compelling truths. They put a face on bias, unconscious or otherwise, and the harmful consequences flowing from it. And they bring home to the judiciary the leadership role we must play to ensure that the justice system in this province mirrors the fair and equal treatment of all so vital to our democracy.

Effective December 14, 2020, amendments were made to Part 16 of the Alberta Rules of Court, the Court of Appeal of Alberta Criminal Appeal Rules, including a new Release Order relating to judicial interim release pending appeal.

The decision to hold oral arguments electronically during the pandemic has highlighted a challenge during submissions when counsel and self-represented litigants refer the panel to materials in the record before the Court. As a result, commencing February 1, 2021, parties will have the option of filing a Condensed Book as an aid to assist in oral argument in both civil and criminal appeals.

Canadian Lawyer spoke to a member of the Calgary bar about the Alberta Court of Appeal's new public portal of its digital case management system (CAMS) and how the portal is helping make the appeal process more accessible. The online tool, which officially launched on August 31, 2020, allows lawyers and self-represented litigants to file case materials electronically through the court's website as well as have access to information about their appeals. Also included in the article is a link to Chief Justice Catherine A. Fraser's video announcing the portal's launch.

Alberta Chief Justice Catherine A. Fraser unveils the public portal of the Court's digital case management system, CAMS, which allows counsel and self-represented litigants to file documents electronically and access all of their case materials and information about their appeals online. The Chief Justice also discusses the history of the CAMS project, its importance to the Court’s goal of fully digitizing its operations and how the new system is helping to improve the delivery of justice.

On August 31, 2020, the Court of Appeal will launch the public portal of its digital Court of Appeal Management System (CAMS). Starting Monday, in addition to filing materials electronically, counsel and self-represented litigants will have online access to all of their case materials and can retrieve other information about their appeals including the full text of all filed documents, deadlines, hearing dates, outcomes and more. CAMS already enables judges and court staff to access and work with all court files electronically.

On October 1, 2020, the Court of Appeal will commence an Appeal Conference (AC) pilot project for all Family Law Fast Track Appeals. The purpose of the pilot project is to increase access to justice and encourage resolution between parties of outstanding appeals in an effort to reduce family conflicts and expenses.