ALRI welcomes its new summer student researcher Briggs Larguinho. Take a few minutes and get to know Briggs. Why did you pursue a career in law? I chose to pursue law because I wanted a job that constantly challenged me. The law is constantly changing and requires you to constantly challenge what you believe in. That aspect appeals to me and always keeps me on my toes. What is your favourite food? Sushi not even [...]
The Alberta Law Reform Institute proposed the legislation that became the Matrimonial Property Act (MPA) more than 30 years ago and there has been no substantive amendment to the MPA since then. ALRI has received suggestions that the legislation is in need of revision but there was little consensus as to which areas were in need of review. In order to advance the research, ALRI financed the work of Annie Voss-Altman, a student at the [...]
In 2010, the Alberta Law Reform Institute (ALRI) considered whether to undertake a project regarding the diversity of statutory review mechanisms available in Alberta for reviewing or appealing adjudicative decisions made by administrative tribunals. These tribunals include any administrative board, commission, agency or other body which exercises adjudicative decision-making power under provincial legislation. For the purpose of its deliberations, ALRI dedicated research time to prepare a detailed inventory of such tribunals and their statutory review [...]
In April 2013, The Muttart Foundation hosted a consultation conference in Banff, Alberta. The Alberta Law Reform Institute had the opportunity to meet with more than thirty experts from Non-Profit sectors across Canada, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom to exchange information and discuss the issues that Alberta Non-Profits face. This report summarizes the consultation and will be invaluable in guiding our recommendations in reforming the primary non-profit corporate legislation in Alberta, the Societies [...]
In conjunction with its project on property division for common law couples and adult interdependent partners, ALRI partnered with the Population Research Lab at the University of Alberta to carry out a survey of Albertans' attitudes and expectations towards cohabitation and property division. The survey resulted in 1,200 responses and helped guide the recommendations in Report for Discussion 30 - Property Division for Common Law Couples and Adult Interdependent Partners. Donna Fong, Rosanna Shih, and Dr. [...]
Arbitration is a process where a tribunal other than a court resolves a dispute between two or more parties. This issue paper discusses the current arbitration law (as of the time of publication), and potential beneficial changes to that law. The report first considers whether arbitration law in Alberta should be based on either the UNCITRAL Model Law or the BC Act, and the effects this could have on the uniformity of law. It then [...]
Although at the time of the publication of this report, many aspects of legal marriages were regulated by both statute and the common law, cohabitation between unmarried couples was not. This paper addresses the issue of the law as related to heterosexual cohabiting couples (homosexual couples and purely economic relationships were not addressed) by reviewing the (then-current) law in Alberta, as well as raising several legal issues that needed to be considered regarding cohabiting couples. [...]
The Public Inquiries Act, RSA 1980, c P-29, invested the Lieutenant Governor in Council with the power to create public inquiries, when he or she deemed it expedient so to do, on any matter within the jurisdiction of the Province which was connected with its good government or public business. Aside from its function in regulating public inquiries (and their especially the commissioners), the Act is often used as a reference to describe the powers given [...]
At the time of this paper's publication, certain types of professionals (namely, accountants, lawyers, and certain health care professionals) were required to work in a setting of "unlimited liability," meaning that the individual professionals could be held liable for debts and other liabilities incurred by the company for which they worked. This paper addresses the issue of that unlimited liability, and suggests that there was a "liability crisis" at the time, and therefore an urgent [...]
