From the Office of the President, Jeremiah Kowalchuk
Following the news conference by The Hon. Kathleen Ganley, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General of Alberta, the Canadian Bar Association Alberta Branch is pleased that additional judicial positions have been created in the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta and Court of Appeal of Alberta to help relieve the strain on our over-burdened court system.
We also welcome the additional judicial appointments announced today, which leaves the total number of vacant positions in Alberta at 16 (all from the Court of Queen’s Bench). While these are excellent first steps in ensuring that all Albertans have access to justice in our court system, we call on the federal government to fund and fill these positions at the earliest opportunity.
Finally, we are also pleased that the Government of Alberta has allocated an additional $9.4 million in funding to Legal Aid Alberta. Legal Aid Alberta provides services to more than 230,000 Albertans each year in a number of areas, including family law, child welfare, adult and youth criminal law, refugee and immigration law, and civil law. A legal aid program that receives adequate, sustainable and predictable funding not only ensures that Alberta’s most vulnerable have access to justice, but also decreases the strain on our courts and other social support systems. More information is available on CBA Alberta’s position on Legal Aid funding here.
We look forward to continuing to work with the provincial government, Minister Ganley, and our partners in the justice system to ensure that access to justice is available for all Albertans.