News & Announcements

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.

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.

Effective September 1, 2020 The Clerk of the Court will only accept filing by electronic mail (email), and will no longer accept filing by fax, as an authorized means under Alberta Rules of Court 13.41(2)(c) https://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/rules2010/Rules_vol_1.pdf .

Effective August 4, 2020, Family Docket Court in Edmonton and Calgary will commence at 9:30 a.m. to enable more matters to be heard by the presiding triage Justice.

The Court of Queen’s Bench has launched a Restorative Justice Committee to study the possibility of creating a referral process for appropriate court matters to a restorative justice process (RJ).

To facilitate the effective receipt, handling, management and use of these documents by Court staff and the judiciary, the Court has prepared the guidelines, applicable to all documents filed by email or digital upload. All counsel and parties are expected to comply with these Guidelines to the greatest extent permitted by their technological resources.

Commencing immediately, any applications on notice for a Restraining Order or Queen’s Bench Protection Order may proceed directly to Family Chambers without having to first attend in Family Docket Court.

The Court is now processing electronic Without Notice Applications in Family matters, based on urgency.

Effective June 24, 2020, the Court will commence scheduling half day Special Justice, Family and Applications Judges Chambers applications remotely via Webex video and audio in Edmonton, Calgary and Regional locations.

Effective immediately, where the accused is represented by Counsel and where Crown and Defence Counsel consent to waive the conduct of an oral hearing and cross-examination on affidavit evidence, voir dires or other pre-trial applications involving Criminal Code offences (excepting cases involving ss. 276/278 of the Criminal Code which contain specific hearing requirements) may be submitted to the Court with affidavit evidence and written argument (along with an electronic copy of video tape in the case of a s. 715.1 voir dire) to be considered by way of desk application.