Change to King’s Counsel in Law Society Systems

Please note that lawyers with QC designations have now been updated to KC in the Lawyer Directory and Lawyer Portal. Member cards with QC designations will be reprinted with KC and mailed to lawyers beginning Sept. 21. In the meantime, lawyers can continue to use their member cards as-is.

The Law Society will continue to update their records and systems following Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. If you encounter any issues, please contact Customer Service. 

Alberta Land Titles Office Return Submission Pilot

The Alberta Land Titles Office (LTO) continues to experience a significant backlog of registrations and the turnaround time for registrations has risen significantly since April 2021.

In an effort to help resolve the issue, LTO is will be launching a Return Submission Pilot Project to reduce the number of packages received that cannot be reviewed due to deficiencies. By removing deficient packages before they are entered into the queue, staff can move quicker through examinations and registrations and improve turnaround times. This pilot is in addition to other actions they are taking to increase program capacity such as hiring more staff and advancing digital innovations.

Starting Monday, Sept. 26, LTO staff will be reviewing DRR submissions with the following documents attached:  

• Transfer of Land 
• Transfer of Land with a Mortgage

These packages will be reviewed for the following elements:

• Documents provided match what is listed on the DRR
• Transferor/Transferee Name has been provided
• Transferee Address is provided
• Legal description is provided on all documents submitted
• Transferor and witness (if applicable) signature(s) are provided
• Mortgagor and witness (if applicable) signature(s) are provided
• Tenancy provided for the transferee matches tenancy for the mortgagor 

Reviewed packages that do not meet these elements will be returned to sender via the method requested on the Document Registration Request (DRR). Returned packages will not be marked as received and entered into the Land Titles queue until they are received complete with these elements.

An additional list of common deficiencies will be provided in each package of returned DRRs for law offices to ensure their corrected and resubmitted DRRs will not experience further delays. Documents that pass the review elements will proceed for scanning and will appear in the Pending Registration Queue. 

Law offices should review and if necessary implement quality control processes for Mortgage and Land Transfer instruments and packages prior to submitting to the Land Titles Office.

LTO is dedicated to providing timely and appropriate services to citizens and businesses in Alberta. This pilot will run until the end of the year, and will eventually expand to encompass other instruments and package types over time.

LTO will also be seeking input throughout this pilot. They will provide results from the first efforts of this pilot and seek feedback later this fall. Please submit any questions regarding this pilot via email.

Court of King's Bench Announcement

Updated Notice to Attend Family Docket Court - Effective September 19, 2022

The Notice to Attend Family Docket Court has been updated. Use of the updated form is encouraged effective immediately, but until Sept. 30, 2022, the previous form will be accepted.

Effective Sept. 30, 2022, the updated Notice to Attend Family Docket Court form must be used, and the previous form will be rejected by the Clerks’ Office if submitted for filing.

Federal Court Announcement

Federal Holiday to Coincide with Her Late Majesty’s State Funeral

The Prime Minister announced on Sept. 14 that Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, will be a one-time holiday for the federal public service, to coincide with Her Late Majesty’s State Funeral and the end of the official period of mourning in Canada.

Offices of the Federal Court will be closed on Sept. 19. Matters set down for hearing on that date will be re-scheduled subject to the discretion of the presiding judge to proceed for urgent matters. Directions adjourning non-urgent sittings and requesting dates of mutual availability will be issued by the Judicial Administrator.

Alberta Court Announcements Regarding Sept. 19

Provincial Courts to Remain Open Sept. 19

The Provincial Court of Alberta will continue to hear matters on Monday, Sept. 19. 

Most court operations will be unaffected by the Provincial Day of Mourning, though presiding Judges and Justices of the Peace may have brief adjournments at 10 a.m. to allow for a moment of silence.

Court of King's Bench to Remain Open Sept. 19 

The Court of King's Bench of Alberta will continue to hear matters on Monday, Sept. 19.

Most court operations will be unaffected by the Provincial Day of Mourning, though presiding Justices and Applications Judges may have brief adjournments at 10:00am to allow for a moment of silence.

IRPR Reference Guide Now Available

As previously communicated in the July 19 eBulletin, new regulatory amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) will come into force on Sept. 26, 2022.

The new regulatory amendments aim to strengthen protections for temporary foreign workers to prevent potential mistreatment or abuse during their period of employment in Canada. 

To help you better understand the impact of these new regulatory amendments, the government has created a Reference Guide that includes a set of short Q&As and a checklist to support employers while hiring a temporary foreign workers under the International Mobility Program.

If you have questions regarding the new regulatory amendments to IRPR, please email here.

STAY CONNECTED