All Alberta courthouses:

  • Plexiglas barriers were installed at public facing counters in all open courthouses and resolution service centres that did not already have barriers in place.
  • As of March 30, 2020, public access to all courthouses in the province of Alberta will be restricted until further notice. Members of the general public will only be permitted to enter a courthouse in certain circumstances

 

Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench

  • resuming some criminal trials in-person and via Webex video conference, starting in June. Priority will be given to trials scheduled to be heard between March 16 and June 26 that were cancelled because of the court’s pandemic response.
  • extending its limitation of hearings to emergency and urgent matters only to June 26, 2020, and the adjournment of criminal jury trials and jury selections to September 8, 2020.
  • Limiting hearings to emergency or urgent matters only. Requests can be made online or over the phone for parties without internet access.
  • Kept clerk offices open (Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, St. Paul, Grande Prairie, Peace River, Red Deer, Wetaskiwin, Drumheller, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge) to accept filings.

 

Updated May 29

 

Provincial Court of Alberta

  • The Provincial Court of Alberta has released part one of their resumption plan, outlining their operations and covering the period May 25 through July 3.
  • The Provincial Court of Alberta will permit remote applications, including out of custody guilty pleas.
  • The Provincial Court of Alberta has:
    • Updated its plan for the staged resumption of court operations. The changes involve family mediation; the rescheduling and adjournment of provincial tickets, bylaws and other matters; and criminal adult out-of-custody criminal trials and preliminary inquiries.
    • Provided new guidelines for family and child protection application;
    • Issued a digital judicial authorization protocol in Edmonton to allow for electronic submission of documents in certain Criminal Code matters;
    • Clarified its criminal fine payment extension process. Those applying for an extension to pay a criminal fine can do so by mail, email, fax or telephone.
    • Provided notice to self-represented litigants for family law matters, and to law enforcement for warrants.
    • Begun conducting pre-trial conferences and pre-preliminary hearing conferences to manage scheduled (and to be scheduled) criminal matters, as the court’s COVID 19 response plan has been extended.
  • Members of the general public will only be permitted to enter a courthouse in certain circumstances.
  • Case Management Offices with the Provincial Court of Alberta are closed.
  • The Provincial Court of Alberta has updated Schedules and Practice Notices.
  • More information: https://albertacourts.ca/pc/resources/announcements

 

Traffic Courts

  • do not dispute their ticket but need time to pay
  • wish to adjourn their matter
  • wish to plead not guilty and set a trial date
  • Not guilty pleas will also continue to be accepted by mail. Instructions for submitting a not guilty plea by mail are listed on the ticket.
  • If an Albertan does not contact the court handling their matter on or before the scheduled appearance, trial or application date, they may be convicted in absence or a warrant may be issued for their arrest. If they are convicted in absence, they may be subject to a late payment charge.
  • Fine payments can be made: