Alberta’s justice minister has introduced legislation that would arm security officers at the legislature, make it easier to enforce spousal and child support in other jurisdictions and raise the cap on civil claims at the provincial court level.
Tyler Shandro, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, introduced the Justice Statutes Amendment Act on Tuesday.
The sergeant-at-arms and speaker of the legislature reviewed security after the shooting on Parliament Hill in 2014 and a suicide at the Alberta legislature in 2019.
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The review concluded that members of the Legislative Assembly Security Service should be allowed to carry firearms in the legislature building and surrounding area.
“This is something that has been studied up until 2014. I think it will be a long time. It’s been studied to death,” Shandro said in an interview with The Canadian Press last month.
“I think that is one of the concerns that the speaker and the sergeant-at-arms have. I am aware that they do have concerns and have been looking for these changes for many years.”
Shandro said there are already armed sheriffs at the legislature, but most of the security officers have law enforcement experience which will provide another level of protection.
“Providing these officers with the tools they need, including firearms, (will) protect everyone who occupies this building.”
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An amendment to the Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act would also make it easier for people to collect child and spousal support from former partners and spouses living across the country.
This will enable the electronic exchange of certified documents to support interjurisdictional support orders.
British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nova Scotia have made similar legislative changes.
“Given legal aid assisting Alberta individuals who have partners and parents in many other areas of the country, this amendment will help improve the ability of our clients to make critical child and spousal support payments in a more timely and efficient manner to collect, putting money into the hands of those who need it most,” John Panusa, president and CEO of Legal Aid Alberta, said in a statement.
An update of the Provincial Court Act will make it possible to deal with more civil claims at provincial court level. The process at the lower court level is simpler and more cost-effective, but the limit is $50,000 and was last updated in 2014.
Amendments will allow the government to adjust the limit to $200,000.
“This increase in jurisdictional limits will improve the court’s ability to fulfill its mission of providing fair, accessible and timely justice to Albertans,” said Chief Justice Derek Redman of the Provincial Court of Alberta.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
