News and Announcements

In light of the significant concerns surrounding the potential fabrication of legal authorities through large language models (LLMs)1, this Notice addresses the matter of legal references in submissions to the courts. Our joint commitment to reinforcing the integrity and credibility of legal proceedings is critical. Caution: The Court of Appeal of Alberta, Court of King’s Bench of Alberta, and Alberta Court of Justice urge practitioners and litigants to exercise caution when referencing legal authorities or analysis derived from LLMs in their submissions.

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

Justice Marina Paperny swearing out ceremony.

The Honourable Chief Justice Ritu Khullar is pleased to welcome three new justices to the Alberta Court of Appeal: The Honourable Justice William deWit in Calgary, The Honourable Justice April Grosse in Calgary, and The Honourable Justice Jane Fagnan in Edmonton. 

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.

The Honourable Chief Justice Ritu Khullar's statement following her appointment as Chief Justice of Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut

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.