The Alberta Law Reform Institute is making recommendations for how people living in Alberta can alter or revoke their electronic will. Get ALRI’s full report, Alteration and Revocation of Electronic Wills, Final Report 120. A consultation summary and recommendations summary are also available as companion documents. The Need for Reform People are increasingly using digital tools to manage their personal affairs. In some jurisdictions, wills are no longer restricted to paper and individuals are beginning [...]

The Alberta Law Reform Institute [ALRI] is seeking 2 students for employment between May and August 2024.  Students should be completing their second year of law and have strong writing skills to support the presentation of their research in new issues in the law. The Research Assistants will work directly with ALRI lawyers to follow project plans and research new legal policy.  This work provides students with direct feedback from our lawyers and valuable experience [...]

The Alberta Law Reform Institute (ALRI) is in the preliminary stages of exploring a potential law reform project on the Alberta Residential Tenancies Act. The Residential Tenancies Act, establishes the rights, rules, and obligations that govern the relationship between a landlord and tenant. ALRI held three stakeholder engagement sessions in November. The first being an online session through Zoom and two in-person sessions in Calgary and Edmonton. The sessions were attended by representatives from Alberta [...]

The Alberta Law Reform Institute is undertaking a preliminary review of Alberta’s Residential Tenancies Act. The Residential Tenancies Act establishes the rights, rules, and obligations that govern the relationship between a landlord and tenant. ALRI will be conducting several stakeholder engagements with organizations from across the province to determine how the Act is functioning and where it could be improved. The findings from these events will be used to determine the scope of a potential law reform project. More [...]

The Alberta Law Reform Institute recommends that electronic wills should be expressly permitted in Alberta. ALRI’s full report, Creation of Electronic Wills, Final Report 119 is available now.   People are increasingly using digital tools to manage their personal affairs. In some jurisdictions, wills are no longer restricted to paper and individuals are beginning to execute their testamentary documents using electronic tools. In Alberta, the Wills and Succession Act governs the creation of wills but [...]

Congratulations to ALRI counsel Stella Varvis for being awarded the Stronger Together Award by Women in Law Leadership (WILL). This award celebrates the contributions Stella has made to organizations and groups within her community. According to Ms. Varvis, approximately 22% of Canadians live with a disability. As a fierce advocate for disability rights, Ms. Varvis is working to break down barriers that prevent individuals with disabilities from fully participating in all fabrics of life. Her [...]

Brennan Shepherd is a soon-to-be third year student at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law. Raised in Edson, Alberta, Brennan obtained a Bachelor of Management in Finance (with High Distinction) from Concordia University of Edmonton before beginning his studies at the Faculty of Law. Prior to joining ALRI, Brennan worked as a lifeguard, in a lumber mill, and as a summer program coordinator for an environmental non-profit organization. Brennan is currently a member of [...]

Aydin McClelland is a third-year law student at the University of Alberta. Prior to joining ALRI, Aydin obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Legal Studies from Carleton University. He has performed a variety of jobs in the legal field and is currently an executive member of the Environmental Law Student’s Association. In his free time, Aydin enjoys cooking, reading, and going for runs in the river valley. He is passionate about the law [...]