Tuesday, March 17, 2020
THE COURT OF ALBERTA RESPONSE TO THE COVID19 CRISIS
SOURCE: Provincial Court of Alberta. (2020) Covid-19 Pandemic Planning for the Scheduling of Matters, Retrieved April 20, 2020, from 
https://www.albertacourts.ca/pc/resources/covid
The court will continue to post further information as it becomes available, so please continue to check the Provincial Court website for updates.
As of Tuesday March 17, 2020, if you have a family, civil, criminal court or a Provincial Offences/traffic court appearance in the Alberta Provincial Court, you do not need to attend unless the matter is an in-custody or urgent criminal matter, or an urgent family or child protection matter.
No members of the public will be permitted in courthouses unless they are required for a court matter (parties, witnesses, media). Legal counsel are permitted access to the Court house for urgent court-related business ONLY.
Do not come into a courthouse in person if you have been advised to self-isolate by public health officials, your doctor or the Alberta Health Services website; or you are self-isolating as a result of travel or contact with individuals with COVID-19.
THE COURT IS REDUCING THE NUMBER OF COURTHOUSES AND COURTROOMS THAT ARE OPERATIONAL.
Useful Links
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Tuesday, March 17, 2020
COURTS CURRENTLY OPEN IN ALBERTA
SOURCE: Provincial Court of Alberta. (2020) Covid-19 Pandemic Planning for the Scheduling of Matters, Retrieved April 20, 2020, from https://www.albertacourts.ca/pc/resources/covid
These courts are currently operating on a reduced scale and they are only conducting urgent business:
- Calgary
- High Level
- Red Deer
- Camrose (In custody trials only, all other matters diverted to Wetaskiwin)
- High Prairie
- Sherwood Park
- Edmonton
- Hinton
- St. Albert
- Drumheller
Leduc
- St. Paul
- Fort McMurray
- Lethbridge
- Stony Plain
- Fort Saskatchewan
- Medicine Hat
- Vermillion
- Grand Prairie
- Peace River
- Wetaskiwin
Useful Links
COVID-19 Plan - Scheduling Notifications SOUTH REGION
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Tuesday, March 17, 2020
CRIMINAL AND YOUTH CRIMINAL MATTERS
SOURCE: Provincial Court of Alberta. (2020) Covid-19 Pandemic Planning for the Scheduling of Matters, Retrieved April 20, 2020, from https://www.albertacourts.ca/pc/resources/covid
If you are not in custody and you have a criminal court appearance in the Alberta Provincial Court between Tuesday March 17 and Friday, May 22, 2020 you do not need to attend court.
The Court website will be updated regularly to provide information regarding rescheduling, which will be 10 weeks from the date of your scheduled court appearance or the next court date thereafter.
All out of custody matters will be adjourned for 10 weeks from the date currently set. Counsel shall not attend for these presumptive 10 week adjournments.
All regional matters will return to their respective regional Case Management Office (CMO) location. If there is no CMO location in the region, it will return to the docket court of that location.
All in-custody matters will proceed including:
Bail hearings
Sentencings with a priority given to those facing a time served situation
Preliminary inquiries and trials
Youth criminal sentence reviews
The Court will hear urgent out of custody criminal matters with leave of a judge.
The Court will be available to process urgent warrants and judicial authorizations.
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Wednesday, April 1, 2020
CIVIL MATTERS
. SOURCE: Provincial Court of Alberta. (2020) Covid-19 Pandemic Planning for the Scheduling of Matters, Retrieved April 20, 2020, from https://www.albertacourts.ca/pc/resources/covid
All Provincial Court civil matters, including trials, chambers list applications and pretrial conferences that are scheduled to be heard prior to May 22nd 2020 are adjourned sine die (indefinitely). This applies to all PTCs and chambers list matters, including matters now set to be heard by phone.
Matters which are presently scheduled to be heard after May 22, 2020 for the time being remain as scheduled. Please contact the civil division hotlines at the numbers below, or your local courthouse to stay up-to-date on those matters scheduled after May 22, 2020. If a litigant feels their matter is urgent they are to contact the clerks' office who will refer it to a judge to determine the urgency. For scheduling concerns, please call the civil division hotlines. Those lines are:
Edmonton: 780 644-7638
Calgary: 403 297-7219
For matters that are scheduled to be heard outside of Edmonton or Calgary please contact your local courthouse. Effective immediately we will only be filing urgent/time sensitive documents:
Civil Claims where the limitation period/date expires within 30 days.
Applications and Affidavits for extending time for service of a Civil Claim that will expire within 30 days.
Affidavits in support of substitutional service and order (if provided) within 90 days of the expiry of the claim.
Dispute Notes, Counterclaims, Third Party Claims, Dispute notes to Third Party Claims, Notices to Attend as witness.
Notices of Appeal.
Summary Judgment Applications will be referred to a Judge for a decision with respect to urgency.
Set Aside applications if enforcement proceedings have been commenced (to be heard by telephone).
Applications that are of an emergent nature: Landlord/Tenant matters where safety is an issue.
Please note: the Court will determine if the Application will be filed, and if and when the hearing will be set.
Effective April 1, 2020 a drop off box will be located at the entrances to the Calgary Court Centre and Edmonton Law Courts where non urgent documents may be deposited at the Sheriff station. There will be a turnaround time of 6 business days to complete the filing procedures, at which time documents may be picked up by Lawyers/Agents/Runners and mailed out to Self-Represented Litigants. Please include a cheque in instances where there is a filing fee.
Useful Links
Master Order Relating to Court's Response to the COVID-19 Virus.
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Friday, May 22, 2020
FAMILY AND CHILD PROTECTION MATTERS
SOURCE: Provincial Court of Alberta. (2020) Covid-19 Pandemic Planning for the Scheduling of Matters, Retrieved April 20, 2020, from https://www.albertacourts.ca/pc/resources/covid
All Provincial Court civil matters, including trials, chambers list applications and pretrial conferences that are scheduled to be heard prior to May 22nd 2020 are adjourned sine die (indefinitely). This applies to all PTCs and chambers list matters, including matters now set to be heard by phone.
Matters which are presently scheduled to be heard after May 22, 2020 for the time being remain as scheduled. Please contact the civil division hotlines at the numbers below, or your local courthouse to stay up-to-date on those matters scheduled after May 22, 2020. If a litigant feels their matter is urgent they are to contact the clerks' office who will refer it to a judge to determine the urgency. For scheduling concerns, please call the civil division hotlines. Those lines are:
Edmonton: 780 644-7638
Calgary: 403 297-7219
For matters that are scheduled to be heard outside of Edmonton or Calgary please contact your local courthouse. Effective immediately we will only be filing urgent/time sensitive documents:
Civil Claims where the limitation period/date expires within 30 days.
Applications and Affidavits for extending time for service of a Civil Claim that will expire within 30 days.
Affidavits in support of substitutional service and order (if provided) within 90 days of the expiry of the claim.
Dispute Notes, Counterclaims, Third Party Claims, Dispute notes to Third Party Claims, Notices to Attend as witness.
Notices of Appeal.
Summary Judgment Applications will be referred to a Judge for a decision with respect to urgency.
Set Aside applications if enforcement proceedings have been commenced (to be heard by telephone).
Applications that are of an emergent nature: Landlord/Tenant matters where safety is an issue.
Please note: the Court will determine if the Application will be filed, and if and when the hearing will be set. Effective April 1, 2020 a drop off box will be located at the entrances to the Calgary Court Centre and Edmonton Law Courts where non urgent documents may be deposited at the Sheriff station. There will be a turnaround time of 6 business days to complete the filing procedures, at which time documents may be picked up by Lawyers/Agents/Runners and mailed out to Self-Represented Litigants. Please include a cheque in instances where there is a filing fee.
Useful Links
Calgary Family & Youth Pandemic Planning
Edmonton Family & Youth Pandemic Planning
COVID-19 PLAN - Notice to Self-represented Litigants
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Tuesday, March 17, 2020
TRAFFIC COURT
SOURCE: Provincial Court of Alberta. (2020) Covid-19 Pandemic Planning for the Scheduling of Matters, Retrieved April 20, 2020, from https://www.albertacourts.ca/pc/resources/covid
Until further notice, all Traffic Courts in Alberta will be closed effective Tuesday, March 17, 2020.
If you have an appearance, trial or application scheduled during the closure, do not attend court in person. Contact the court handling your matter by telephone, e-mail or fax if you:
Do not dispute your ticket but need time to pay, wish to adjourn your matter, or wish to plead not guilty and set a trial date.
Not guilty pleas will also continue to be accepted by mail. Follow the instructions on your ticket for submitting a not guilty plea by mail.
If you fail to contact the court handling your matter on or before your scheduled appearance, trial or application date, you may be convicted in absence or a warrant may be issued for your arrest. If you are convicted in absence, you may be subject to a late payment charge. DO NOT ATTEND THE COURTHOUSE TO PAY FINES IN PERSON.
Fine payments can be made:
Online at Fine Payments
By mail to the Provincial Traffic Production Centre, 601 5th Street SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 5P7
Through a Registry Office
Useful Links
Traffic Court Closure Contacts