The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, includes important legal concepts found today in our justice system, including the Rule of Law, jury trials, appointing qualified judges, evidence and access to justice.EDITOR'S NOTE This article was first published in LawNow on November 2, 2015. It was … [Read more...]
Don’t Leave Pay Behind: Know your rights under Alberta’s employment standards laws
Alberta’s Employment Standards Code sets out minimum standards employers must follow about minimum wage, minimum hours of work, overtime hours and pay, and more.Alberta’s Employment Standards Code (the Code) sets out the minimum standards that employers must provide to employees in Alberta. … [Read more...]
Annexation and the Use of Force
Annexation is one state forcibly acquiring another state’s territory, usually through a treaty or use of force. It is illegal under international law.Recently, there has been increased discussion in the media about annexation. Many are now asking what this term really means and how it comes … [Read more...]
Acting as Personal Representative for an Estate: What you need to know
Acting as the personal representative for an estate is a big responsibility that comes with legal obligations to the estate and its beneficiaries. Being prepared to act is an important first step.A personal representative is a person who has authority to manage the estate of a deceased person. … [Read more...]
Who Reveals their Poker Hand?
Sharing Evidence with Opposing Parties in Criminal MattersEvidence in a criminal matter is called disclosure. Criminal law has strict rules about who must provide whom with disclosure. Unlike in civil law, the rules are generally one-sided. The defence has no obligation to provide the Crown … [Read more...]
A Brief Overview of Child Intervention Services in Alberta
Alberta's Child, Youth, and Family Enhancement Act (CYFEA) sets out how the government intervenes to protect children, including through agreements with the child's guardian and various court orders.EDITOR'S NOTE This article was first published on January 5, 2016. It was reviewed and updated … [Read more...]
Translating Justice: Overcoming Language Barriers in Law
While Alberta's only official language is English, there are legal information and support services that can help you access justice in another language.Do you, or someone you know, need legal help but have difficulties communicating in English? As a multicultural country, Canada is home to … [Read more...]
Children Witnesses in the Criminal Courts: Recognizing Competence and Assessing Credibility
The law and research in Canada have evolved to allow children to take the stand as witnesses in criminal court, though there is still work to do.EDITOR'S NOTE This article was first published on January 5th, 2018. It was verified for accuracy on December 13, 2024.Until the late 1980s, the … [Read more...]
Extradition in Canada: United States v Burns, then and now
In some situations, foreign nations can ask Canada to surrender an accused person to them to face criminal charges, as highlighted in the well-known case of United States v Burns.Extradition is the process through which a foreign nation can ask Canada to surrender an accused person to that … [Read more...]
2024 Employment Law Alberta Year in Review
In 2024, Alberta courts decided on important employment law issues, including streamlined trials, employees as fiduciaries, just cause for dismissal, drug testing polices, non-compete and non-solicit injunctions, and more.This article summarizes some important employment law decisions in … [Read more...]
