Spotlight on Solutions: Justice

Posted on April 13, 2022

Spotlight on Solutions is our regular blog post that cuts through the partisan spin favouring positive, pragmatic and solutions-oriented politics.

When governments fail to maintain a fair, effective and equitable justice system, they undermine the trust and cooperation that serves as the foundation for our society. Sadly, It’s no secret Alberta’s legal system is struggling. Court wait times are growing, family law is failing families, and crown prosecutors are on the verge of a strike. These are just some of the challenges justice faces in Alberta. Thankfully, when there’s a challenge, Alberta Liberals are there to shine a light on the solutions. 

Crime Reduction: Alberta’s economic hardships have come with a rise in crime rates. We want to tackle crime in a way that puts results first. That means addressing root causes and investing in crime prevention.

  • Increase support for community watch groups. 
  • Tackle root causes of crime, including poverty, mental health and addictions.  
  • Invest $5 million more into the regional victims of crime fund. 

Reducing Court Wait Times

Justice delayed is justice denied. Therefore, court wait times in Alberta must be reduced for both civil and criminal court cases. The Alberta Liberals would establish a task force to consider strategies for reducing wait times, including: 

  • Standardizing case management procedures.
  • Encouraging alternative dispute resolution
  • Hiring more clerks, Masters and Provincial Court Judges.
  • Encouraging the Federal Government to appoint more Queen’s Bench and Appellate Justices
  • Exploring a unified family court
  • Increased funding for legal aid 

Mental Health and Drug Courts: By addressing the mental health and addiction issues underlying crimes, we can significantly reduce the re-offence rate in Alberta, keeping citizens safer and courts more efficient. The Alberta Liberals are committed to expanding Mental Health and Drug Courts. 

Family Law Reform: Dealing with Family Law can be an emotionally trying experience. The repercussions can reverberate through lives for years to come when done wrong. Therefore, it is critical that we ensure just outcomes and act in the children's best interest. 

An Alberta Liberal government would push for Family Law reforms, including: 

  • Creating an informal family case management system to reduce the need for costly and emotionally-draining trials  
  • The creation of a unified family court 
  • Establishing an Access Program Coordinator position within the Justice and Solicitor General ministry to enforce child custody and access orders

 

If you want a more solutions-oriented approach to Alberta politics, please subscribe. If you’d like to share your policy thoughts or get involved in our policy process, reach us at [email protected]. If you'd like to read more about our justice policies, visit our issues page here. 


Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 13th, at 7 PM, the Alberta Liberals will host a discussion on these issues. We hope you will be able to join us.