Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta Master Order 6, dated December 31, 2021, will expire at the end of Friday, January 21, 2022. Though the Court is faced with significant staff shortages as a result of COVID-19, it has been determined that matters scheduled for the week of January 24, 2022 will proceed as follows:
I. Matters Scheduled for the Week of January 24, 2022
All in-person matters and matters scheduled for a remote hearing currently scheduled to be heard in the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta for the week of January 24 will proceed, subject to any issue that may arise in the course of a hearing that will require an adjournment. This includes all matters currently scheduled to be heard in-person, at a court facility, including an external jury facility. Counsel or parties who wish to apply for an adjournment for COVID-19 related reasons in advance of a hearing are asked to contact the Court Coordinator in the appropriate region at the earliest opportunity. Contact information for Court Coordinators is available here: https://www.albertacourts.ca/qb/contact
II. Oral Evidence by Videoconference
Requests for currently scheduled in-person hearings to proceed remotely should be directed to ACJ Rooke for Calgary South, ACJ Nielsen for Edmonton, Wetaskiwin and Red Deer and to CJ Moreau for Northern Regional Centres.
III. January 27, 2022 Jury Selections
Jury selections scheduled for January 27, 2022, for trials scheduled to commence January 31, 2022, will proceed with enhanced COVID-19 measures in place to mitigate any risk to public health.
IV. Rescheduling of Matters Adjourned Under Master Order 6 or Adjourned During the Week of January 24, 2022
Counsel and parties are encouraged to contact the appropriate Court Coordinator to reschedule civil and family matters that were adjourned as a result of Master Order 6 on January 26, 27 or 28, 2022. Criminal matters adjourned during the currency of Master Order #6 are adjourned to the arraignment dates set out in the Appendix to that order. Rescheduling of any matters adjourned during the week of January 24, 2022 will be dealt with by the presiding Justice.
V. Further Updates
The Court’s schedule may continue to change, subject to developments in the pandemic. Parties and counsel are encouraged to check the Court’s website regularly for further announcements. Announcements regarding the Court Schedule for subsequent weeks will be posted after the Court has reviewed staff levels and other pandemic-related issues, on Wednesday afternoons.