We draw your attention to Law Society of Alberta Rules 7-17, and for more information and details on the Election, becoming a candidate and voting, visit the Bencher Election website.

The role of the Law Society is to protect the public interest. The challenges of COVID-19, technological change, a fluctuating economy and ongoing conversations around race and justice have placed Alberta’s legal profession at an inflection point. The next three years will change how we educate lawyers, how lawyers work, who they work with and what that work looks like, and navigating those changes effectively will require a diverse Board.  

Nominations are due September 16.

The 2020 Bencher Election nomination process will be conducted entirely online.To find out more information on the 2020 Bencher Election and how to become a Candidate, check out the Become a Candidate section on the Bencher Election website.

Are you thinking of running in the 2020 Bencher Election? Join Law Society President Kent Teskey, QC, and President-Elect Darlene Scott, QC, as they break down some of the key elements of the Bencher role, including governance, adjudication, time commitments, policy making and some of the strategic goals of the Law Society in the next 3-5 years. 

A moderated Q&A will follow a short presentation; please come with any and all questions you may have on the role of the Bencher.  

On July 27, 2020, Bill C-20 received Royal Assent and enacted the Time Limits and Other Periods Act (COVID-19) (the Act). This Act addresses time limits included in federal legislation. Perhaps most notably, the suspension applies to the time limits under the Divorce Act. The suspension is retroactive to March 13, 2020 and extends the time limits for a maximum duration of 6 months (until September 13, 2020).

The federal government recognizes that many Canadians, businesses and other organizations may be unable to meet numerous time limits currently set out in federal legislation, including rules for civil cases in court and some key regulatory matters.

The Act allows the continued protection of Canadians’ rights in the context of civil legal proceedings, by ensuring that individuals are not prevented from asserting their rights because of the passage of a time limit.

The Act has two parts:

Orders made under this provision of the Act can be retroactive to March 13, 2020 and valid for a maximum of 6 months, but cannot have effect beyond December 31, 2020. Such orders also cannot be made after September 30, 2020.

More information on Bill C-20 may be found on the Department of Justice Canada’s website.

In April, Ministerial Order SA 008/2000 was granted to permit lawyers to witness and commission land titles documents by video. The order expires August 15 but has been replaced with five temporary Orders in Council.

To continue to assist Albertans with self-isolation and physical distancing during the pandemic, Alberta lawyers can continue using two way video conferencing for some Land Titles & Surveys documents as set out in five Orders in Council (OIC) that temporarily amend the following regulations: the Land Titles Forms Regulation, Dower Act Forms Regulation, Foreign Ownership of Land Regulation, Personal Property Security Forms Regulation and Builders’ Lien Forms Regulation.

These OIC’s amend 20 prescribed forms and will be in place from August 15, 2020 to February 28, 2021. You can find these documents on the Queen’s Printer website. (Order in Council 211/2020, 212/2020, 213/2020, 214/2020, 215/2020)