Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta: Bi-Annual Education Seminar 2018

Overview

The 2018 seminar addressed a range of topical issues in criminal, civil and family law of particular interest and relevance to the region.

Objectives

The objectives of this program were to provide participants with the substantive knowledge and skills to: assess the lawfulness of police searches and seizures under s. 8 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms; apply effective case and trial management practices to control the judicial process and limit unnecessary delays; understand the law and social context of family law cases involving claims of parental alienation, estrangement or domestic violence; apply the law on spousal support and unjust enrichment claims; adjudicate judicial review applications from the decisions of administrative bodies; and effectively manage challenging litigants.

Summary

This seminar used innovative and experiential teaching methods to address core issues that are dealt before the Court. Lectures and panel discussions from judicial, legal and psychological experts, as well as legal practitioners and domestic violence community groups, were supplemented with more interactive elements. Discussions among judicial participants as to how to apply the framework on spousal support and examining the scope of judicial discretion on specific situations such as instant responses to fact scenarios. Demonstrative role plays helped participants to engage and develop key skills and substantive knowledge in these areas.