December 14, 2020
Law Society of Alberta Holiday Hours
The Law Society of Alberta will be closed from Thursday, December 24 through to Friday, January 1. The office will reopen on Monday, January 4, 2021.

Please note the billing deadlines of Thursday, December 31 for the following:

  • Limited Liability Partnership Certificate Renewal
  • Professional Corporation Permit Renewal
  • ALIA Indemnity Assessment – Second Instalment

Please make any necessary arrangements in advance to ensure these deadlines are met.
Operation of Alberta Courts During the Holiday Period
Resolution and Court Administration Services have provided this letter regarding the operation of Alberta Courts during the upcoming 2020 holiday closure period. Included in the letter and protocols is information regarding closure dates and procedures for emergency services during this period.
Provincial Court of Alberta Announcement

On November 24, 2020 the Government declared a State of Public Health Emergency. On December 8, 2020, the Province announced significant new restrictions aimed at controlling the further spread of COVID-19. 

The Provincial Court of Alberta’s Response to Recent COVID-19 Restrictions Imposed by the Government of Alberta covers the period of December 14, 2020 through to January 29, 2021 and outlines the Court’s operations for that time period.  

For more information, see this document.
Provincial Court Holiday Hours

With some exceptions, the Provincial Court of Alberta will be closed from December 24, 2020 to January 1, 2021.

These exceptions include: 

  • The Calgary and Edmonton Hearing Offices will continue to hear matters in the same manner as other statutory holidays. The Calgary Hearing Office will be operational 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The Edmonton Hearing Office will be operational from 8:00 a.m. to midnight, seven days per week. 
  • Provincial Court Family and Youth will be open on December 29, 2020 in Edmonton and Calgary to hear urgent Family, Youth and Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act matters requiring judicial attention.
  • Justices of the Peace will be available at the Hearing Offices in Calgary and Edmonton on December 29, 2020 for scheduled bail hearings.

Should an emergency matter need to be heard before a provincial court judge, the Hearing Office clerk will contact the designated on‐call judge and arrange for the application to be heard.

Contact Numbers

  • Calgary Hearing Office – 403‐297‐4444
  • Edmonton Hearing Office – 780‐422‐3699

The Provincial Court will resume normal operations on Monday January 4, 2021.
Court of Queen's Bench Announcements

In response to the State of Public Health Emergency declared by the Government on November 24, 2020, the increase in active COVID-19 cases in the Province of Alberta, and the current and anticipated numbers of legal system participants, including Court staff, who may be unable to participate for COVID-19 related reasons, the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta is announcing these modifications to its schedule for the week of December 14, 2020. Further announcements in respect of the subsequent weeks may follow.

Law firms, lawyers and court runners with existing charge account agreements or those lawyers and runners wishing to open a charge account agreement are permitted to file documents in all judicial centres through email.

If you are interested in opening a charge account agreement for email filing please direct inquiries to the contact emails in the announcement.

In order to serve you better, and streamline processes, Court of Queen’s Bench Administration will now require these procedures to be followed when documents are submitted through the email filing process.

Effective immediately and until January 4, 2020, due to staffing shortages, the Edmonton Review Office will be closed for administrative inquiries (i.e. in-person/telephone/email inquiries and new bookings). All previously scheduled hearings with the Edmonton Review Officer will proceed during this time. 
Alberta Law Libraries - Temporary Closure/Remote Service Delivery
In alignment with the recent announcement of tighter COVID-19 restrictions in Alberta, including the closure of libraries, Alberta Law Libraries have closed their doors to in-person visitors.

While their doors may be physically closed, they will continue to deliver library services remotely. Members of the Law Society will be able to use a take-out and drop-off model to get physical material from the library, continue to request research services via email or phone, access select eResources remotely via their website, and to utilize free document delivery services. Visit their website for further information.