The Alberta Provincial Court and Queen’s Bench have announced procedural changes as record-breaking COVID-19 cases continue in the province.
Provincial courts
The provincial courts said that between January 4 and 21, postpone custody and criminal trials for adults and youth. Preliminary investigations and other hearings requiring witness evidence will also be postponed.
New hearing dates will be assigned to cases conducted through the counseling and case management offices. Matters related to the family file and the protection of minors will be carried out through the provincial court system remotely.
Traffic court is not open for in-person appearances. Virtual testing scheduled at Medicine Hat, Brooks, Lethbridge and Fort MacLeod will continue as scheduled; Those with cases in all other cities should contact the court for information on rescheduling.
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Alberta Queen’s Bank Court
The queen’s bench also announced changes, saying that new trials in civil, commercial, substitute and family matters will be postponed between January 4 and 21.
The Queen’s Bench trails already in progress will continue until completion. The court will also continue with scheduled criminal matters in custody and sentencing, emergency protection hearings and restraining orders, and matters involving “unusual and urgent circumstances.”
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The Alberta Provincial Court is the busiest court in Alberta, with 95% of all cases beginning and ending at the provincial court level. Each year, more than 500,000 people interact with the Alberta Provincial Court in some way.
It’s not the first time
This is not the first time that Alberta courts have made sweeping changes during the pandemic. In early 2020, the courts postponed cases when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Later that year, as cases increased in December, changes were again made to the way the courts operate as cases of the disease increased.
In recent weeks, Alberta has recorded record numbers of the virus in the province. The last estimate the province gave was 4,000 new cases on December 30, the largest addition in a day since the start of the pandemic.
–With files from Caley Ramsay, Global News
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Reference-globalnews.ca