KEEPING YOU LEGALLY INFORMED

When they introduced the new SafeRoads Alberta system, the government put a lot of emphasis on how the new system would be so simple and easy to access: If passed, Alberta will create a simplified, accessible and swift system for resolving matters involving most first-time impaired driving and other traffic safety offences. By removing these matters from the court system, we will save thousands of hours of police and court time per year, ensuring Alberta’s prosecutors and courts are able focus on the most serious justice matters and more [...]

You likely missed it. There was an article about it in the Calgary Herald[1], but otherwise Covid news, and cute cats got all the attention. To be fair – the 12-week trial was all in French and so maybe most of the media missed it too. On January 10, 2022, Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Kristine Eidsvik declared that sections 286.2 and 286.3 of the Criminal Code were unconstitutional[2]. Section 286.2 made it an offence to obtain a material benefit from sex work and section 286.3 made it an [...]

If you were stopped for impaired driving, failing to provide a sample, or blowing over, you were likely given a Notice of Administrative Penalty. It’s also known as an N-A-P, also known as a NAP, also known as an Immediate Roadside Sanction, also known as an IRS… and the confusion doesn't stop there. We’re here to give you tips and tricks for how to deal with this situation. Most importantly, do not pay the fine, if you pay the fine you will be cancelling any hearing that was [...]

Normally, when couples decide to end their relationship, there are a number of ways they can do it. If there is a high level of cooperation between the two, they may be able to work everything out themselves. If there is little to no agreement, they can go through mediation, arbitration, collaborative law or go to court. During the pandemic, however, we have seen one method stand out far from the rest – Collaborative Family Law. The courts keep shutting down and adjourning cases with the result that [...]

No Traffic Trials – Who Saw That Coming? There has been a lot of attention lately on traffic ticket trials – or, rather, the disappearance of them[1]: This is not actually new. The NDP brought in the legislation that allowed this to happen. The Conservatives implemented it in three phases. Impaired driving cases were the first to go. The government began by both charging and giving an administrative sanction (also known as a Notice of Administrative Penalty, also known as an Immediate Roadside Sanction and referred to as an [...]

So, you fought against the Notice of Administrative Penalty (NAP) you received, and although you and your lawyer gave your best efforts, the Penalty was, ultimately, confirmed.  Unfortunately, this is the case on a lot of files.  However, the process has not ended and your means of fighting back have not been exhausted!  Our office is filing Judicial Reviews on a regular basis.  So, what is a Judicial Review?  Here is what you need to know: A Judicial Review is a means of appealing the decision you received.  We [...]