Proposed legislation aims to amend five justice-related provincial laws
The Alberta government has introduced legislation to modernize several justice-related laws in the province, the Ministry of Justice announced.
Bill 20 or the Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2022 proposed changes to the Corrections Act, the Justices of the Peace Act, the Missing Persons Act, the Victims of Crime and Public Safety Act, and the Youth Justice Act.
In particular, the bill provides that an order-in-council instead of a regulation will set compensation rates for Alberta Parole Board members under the Corrections Act. This proposed change will make the parole board’s process consistent with other provincial government agencies, boards, and commissions.
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The bill will also allow the chief judge of the Provincial Court of Alberta to make justices of the peace perform duties on a full-time or part-time basis without going through a government approval process under the Justice of the Peace Act. The proposed change will bring the redesignation process in line with what is already in place for judges and masters in chambers moving from full-time to part-time.
Along with recent changes to the Missing Persons Regulation, the bill will authorize law enforcement authorities to apply for legal orders remotely and clarify what information police officers can request to accomplish work involved in finding missing persons more efficiently and effectively.
Moreover, the bill will remove out-of-date references and modernize wordings in the Victims of Crime and Public Safety Act, such as renaming “death benefit” to “funeral expense reimbursement,” to be more considerate of bereaved families.
The bill will also incorporate recent changes to the Criminal Code of Canada relating to the detention and release of young persons by adopting new forms and procedures for summary conviction proceedings.
“As times change, it is important for justice-related legislation to stay current and effective,” Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Tyler Shandro. “Our commitment to making sure Albertans can access justice across our province includes looking after the little details as part of meeting the needs of Albertans today and into the future.”