CALGARY, AB (February 28, 2023) - The Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch (CBA Alberta) recognizes the commitments made by the Government of Alberta in Budget 2023 to funding justice initiatives.
CBA Alberta applauds the $100M dedicated to modernizing the registry systems and addressing the backlogs at the Land Titles Office, the continuation of funding for the coming year for the Justice Digital Project, and the capital support for infrastructure and planning for new and updated justice facilities around the province. In our soon-to-be-released Agenda for Justice, we call on the government to continue supporting innovative solutions to modernize our justice system, including support for specialized courts such as the Drug Treatment Courts and mental health courts.
CBA Alberta’s Agenda for Justice also calls on the government to improve access to justice, which means giving Albertans with legal issues the confidence that they can access a fair justice process, and a fair result. To this end, we were pleased to see increased funding for Legal Aid Alberta in Budget 2023 and look forward to the coming review of the Legal Aid Alberta Governance Agreement. By allowing more Albertans to access legal aid services and reducing the number of self-represented litigants in our court system, our research shows that Alberta Justice will not only yield more satisfactory outcomes, but also reduce delays in our justice system, resulting in a net savings.
Further justice priorities laid out in the forthcoming Agenda for Justice include the introduction of a unified family court, the independence of the judiciary, and the protection of the rule of law in Alberta. The full Agenda for Justice document will be available in the coming months, and as we approach the 2023 provincial election, the CBA Alberta will continue to work with the provincial government and other stakeholders in the legal community to advocate for adequate, sustainable, and predictable funding for the justice system as a whole.
Amanda Lindberg
President, Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch
Media Contact:
Lee-Anne Hateley, Manager, Member Services & Communications
403-218-4310
communications@cba-alberta.org