News & Announcements

UPDATED - NEW DATE: There will be a virtual Family Town Hall Meeting for members of the Bar on Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 12:30 pm in both Edmonton and Calgary.

Jury selection and jury trials, paused since the March 15, 2020, suspension of regular Court operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are scheduled to resume in off-site locations throughout the province, with the first jury selections having been conducted this morning in Edmonton for jury trials commencing on September 14, 2020. The first scheduled jury trial in Calgary is slated to start on September 28, 2020.

Commercing September 8, 2020, all matters with viva voce evidence including criminal, family and civil trials will be heard entirely in person in COVID-safe courtrooms. If any remote witnesses or video conference testimony is required, the exact date and times of the testimony must be scheduled with the appropriate Court Coordinator at least two weeks in advance. This is subject to resource availability. Remote testimony must still be approved by the presiding Justice but needs to be arranged in advance.

The Court of Queen’s Bench is extending the pilot project for the enforcement of the Mandatory Alternative Dispute Resolution Rules 8.4(3)(a) and 8.5(1)(a) until further notice.

Retirement Profile of The Honourable Justice Joanne Goss

the Court of Queen’s Bench has decided to implement a process as recommended in K.G.K. by which inquiries can be made by counsel or self-represented parties about the status of a reserved decision in all areas of the law. Counsel or self-represented parties wishing to inquire about the status of a reserved decision of a Justice or Master may do so by writing to the Chief Justice.

With the implementation of Family Docket Court in Calgary and Edmonton, and in accordance with the new responsibilities assigned to Case Management Counsel (CMC) (now referred to as Resolution Counsel or RC), the Court is making a number of changes to the way it conducts case management.

Shortly after the March 15, 2020 suspension of regular operations at the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta, the Government of Alberta, in conjunction with the Court, conducted a comprehensive assessment of court facilities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. That assessment revealed that, across the province, courtrooms and jury retiring rooms, with very few exceptions, are too small to accommodate juries and abide by physical distancing directives of Alberta Health Services. Therefore, until further notice, jury selections and jury trials in the Judicial Centres of Edmonton and Calgary will be held offiste.

During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as the Court prepares for post-pandemic operations, a number of proceedings will continue to be conducted via online videoconference (Online Hearings). Counsel, parties, witnesses, the media and the public are expected to review and comply with the general guidelines found in the Instructions and Etiquette Guide for Online Hearings, which is located on the Court of Queen's Bench website. For additional information, please refer to the full announcement.

The Court is extending the Trial Triage Booking Announcement into the Fall Sitting from September 8 to December 18, 2020 for Family, Civil and Commercial short trials and full day specials . Priority will continue to be given to matters scheduled to be heard between March 16 and June 26, 2020, and adjourned pursuant to the Court’s Master Orders due to the pandemic.In Edmonton, additional priority will be given to urgent trials, as there are fewer available slots.