Calgary’s Community Court is an alternative court space that gives people facing minor offences the support they need to improve their lives.
“Justice is a basic human need. In our highly regulated and complex society, people confront legal problems in myriad aspects of their daily lives. And access to a just result can take many different paths. Access to justice is not just about making our justice system less costly, more timely and efficient. Although it is that too. It is about keeping the focus on the people it serves, and recognizing that courts are a last resort, that justice is often best served by resolving legal issues outside of the courts.”
Justice Andromache Karakatsanis, Supreme Court of Canada, “Access to Justice: People Centered Justice Requires Good Data”, The Lawyer’s Daily, 2022.
How does a city prioritize rehabilitation through justice? In the summer of 2024, Calgary started a new way to help people in the justice system by opening its first Community Court. This innovative court space was created through teamwork between the City of Calgary, Calgary Legal Guidance (CLG), Alberta Justice and local community groups. Its goal is to help vulnerable people who have committed minor offences by keeping them out of regular courts and giving them a chance, in a supportive way, to make things right. Instead of going through regular court, they can choose a restorative approach that is grounded in offering support and promoting better outcomes.
The Community Court meets on the last Tuesday of each month at the Alberta Court of Justice. The court focuses on clients facing minor charges, such as breaking city bylaws, causing public disturbances, or getting traffic tickets. Many of these people also struggle with big challenges like finding housing, struggling to afford food, paying off mounting debt, or dealing with addiction. The goal of Community Court is to help these people rejoin the community by giving them support and guidance instead of fines or jail time. Its main idea is to break the cycle of hardship and give people a chance to rebuild their lives.
How the Community Court Works
When a vulnerable person gets a bylaw ticket or is confronting another kind of minor charge, they can now take their case to the Community Court. First, a CLG representative reviews the case to see if it qualifies. If it does, a triage team creates a personalized care plan for the person. A City of Calgary prosecutor then reviews the plan. During this whole process, the person gets support from the team that involves lawyers, prosecutors, police officers, bylaw and traffic agents, social workers, and CLG case managers. This team works together to connect the person with community services that can help them follow a tailored care plan.
Alternative Solutions for Lasting Change
A Justice of the Peace (JP) presides over the Community Court. Rather than handing out fines or sentences, JPs can suggest a range of different steps to rehabilitate someone’s life. This could include visiting a doctor for ongoing health problems, joining programs to treat addiction or trauma, doing community service at a food bank, or meeting with Indigenous elders for spiritual guidance.
These alternative programs try to address the underlying reasons behind a person’s problems, so the real issue can be solved. In Community Court, the result might be canceling a bylaw ticket or helping someone complete a prescribed care plan. This approach takes pressure off busy courts, makes communities safer, and recognizes that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to justice.
Breaking the Cycle of Adversity
Breaking free from the justice system can be hard. People who have past trouble with the law often struggle to find a place to live or get a job. Sometimes sheer will and determination alone are not enough to turn one’s life around. That’s why it’s so important for both the justice system and our community to be open-minded and develop new ways to help. People seeking positive change in their lives need real support and fair chances, including paths to justice that might look different from the usual ones.
The Future of Alternative Courts
The Community Court joins a growing landscape of alternative court spaces in Alberta, including Indigenous Court, Mental Health Court (MHC) and Drug Treatment Court (DTC). These courts use restorative and therapeutic methods, meaning they focus on helping people rather than just punishing them. Each approach is designed to fit the needs of the person involved. These programs recognize that people who break the law often face complicated challenges, and their past mistakes shouldn’t stop them from building a better future. This shift reflects a broader societal understanding that empathy and attunement to the needs of a diverse community, including its most vulnerable people, are crucial to fostering a thriving society.
Calgary’s Community Court is now celebrating its first anniversary. The court has made a big impact – thousands of bylaw tickets have been dropped, and over 400 people have “graduated” from the program and connected with vital social services. The new Community Court reflects Calgary’s commitment to making justice more accessible, adopting inclusive practices, and fostering community support.
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DISCLAIMER The information in this article was correct at time of publishing. The law may have changed since then. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of LawNow or the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta.
About Katherine Hyrcza
