News & Announcements

Over the fall of 2021 and the spring of 2022, the Ad-Hoc Remote Hearings Committee of the Court of Queen’s Bench (the Committee) studied the modes of conducting hearings that had been adopted over the course of the pandemic. The Committee undertook both internal and external engagement and submitted a report to the Executive Board of the Court, providing recommendations as to the processes for hearing matters on a go-forward Pilot Project basis.

Effective immediately, a new filing procedure is in effect for applications for the Judicial Review of decisions from the Alberta SafeRoads tribunal, including stay applications. This new filing procedure replaces the Court’s “SafeRoads Alberta Accelerated Review Procedure” announcement, dated July 9, 2021.

A Retirement Profile of the Honourable Justice Donna L. Shelley.

Judicial Dispute Resolution Booking Procedures: Calgary & Edmonton Fall Term (September – December 2022)

This Announcement clarifies how Surrogate Rules apply to applications made through the Surrogate Digital Service (SDS). A copy of a death certificate or funeral director’s statement of death will be accepted as proof of death on applications for a grant.

Effective June 15, 2022, applications for most grants typically issued in connection with surrogate matters will require completion of new Grant Application (GA) forms. Order in Council 356/2021, available on the Alberta Queen’s Printer website, amends the Surrogate Rules effective June 15, 2022 by, among other things, repealing the Non-contentious (NC) Forms and replacing them with the GA forms.

This Announcement clarifies how Rule 16(1) of the Surrogate Rules applies to applications made through the Surrogate Digital Service (SDS). Rule 16(1) provides that if possible, the applicant [for a grant of probate] and the person before whom the applicant’s affidavit is sworn, i.e. a commissioner for oaths, must each mark the will and any codicil in such a way that the will is identified for the purposes of the application. As applications submitted through the SDS are certified and not sworn, Rule 16(1) does not require a person

This Announcement clarifies that Rule 46(a) of the Surrogate Rules does not apply to grants issued through the Surrogate Digital Service. Rule 46(a) provides that the clerk must sign all grants and copies of any will forming part of or attached to a grant.

These two forms were not amended by Order in Council 356/2021 and will continue to refer to NC forms after June 14, 2022. This guidance is being provided as NC forms will no longer be accepted for grant applications submitted after June 14, 2022.

The Bonaventure Centre will not be available for Edmonton criminal jury trials for the weeks of June 20 and 27, 2022. The Bonaventure Centre will remain the location for any jury selections scheduled to occur during these weeks. For the weeks beginning June 20 and June 27, 2022, Edmonton criminal jury trials that cannot be accommodated within the Edmonton Law Courts will be held at the Edmonton Convention Centre, 9797 Jasper Avenue.