The Alberta Law Reform Institute (ALRI) honors the life and contributions of Donald R. Cranston K.C. For eight years, Donald brought his wisdom, experience, and steadfast dedication to the Institute’s mission of advancing just and effective laws. Whether serving as a board member or as chairman, his commitment to fairness in Alberta's justice system was reflected in ALRI’s work since 2016. Donald was a thoughtful advocate who consistently sought to bring humanity into the realm [...]

ALRI extends its heartfelt thanks to Don Cranston, K.C. for his service as Board Chair. Don joined the ALRI Board as the nominee of the Law Society of Alberta in 2016. After his term as LSA President, Don continued on the ALRI Board as a member at large and was unanimously elected as chair in 2018. ALRI Executive Director, Sandra Petersson, K.C., states "It has been an honour to work with Don. He is an [...]

The Alberta Law Reform Institute is excited to announce that current Board member Deirdre McKenna K.C. will serve as Chair of ALRI's board of directors. Since Ms. McKenna joined ALRI's board in 2018, the Institute has benefitted from her expertise and contributions with several of its law reform projects being implemented into legislation. Her commitment to improving the laws of Alberta made her the natural choice for Chair of ALRI's board. ALRI wishes outgoing Chair [...]

Take a few minutes to meet ALRI student researcher Rachel Poznikoff. Rachel is a law student going into her third year at the University of Alberta. She has a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Psychology from Simon Fraser University. While at Simon Fraser University, she assisted on research relating to children’s memory in forensic settings. In law school she has volunteered with the Student Legal Services Wills Project, Do-Your-Own-Divorce Clinic, and Trans-ID Clinic. In [...]

Take a few minutes to meet ALRI student researcher Sawyer Nessel! Sawyer Nessel is a law student at the University of Alberta who will be starting her third year of law school in the fall. Sawyer has a Bachelor of Commerce from MacEwan University. Prior to joining ALRI, Sawyer worked in a variety of industries, including law, parks maintenance, customer service, road construction, and more. In her free time, Sawyer enjoys visiting family and friends, [...]

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 [...]