Madeline Smith

"learning"

Alberta foster father found not guilty in death of 5-year-old child | CBC News The young boy, who had significant physical disabilities, was found dead in the passenger seat footwell of his foster mother’s vehicle on June 14, 2022, at a rural property south of Edmonton.

The foster father accused in the death of a 5-year-old boy in his care was acquitted yesterday after a trial: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Immunity for Alberta attorney general necessary to ward off ‘political activism,’ attorney general says | CBC News Alberta’s justice minister, who is also the attorney general, says new rules that would grant anyone who’s in his job general immunity from law society sanctions are necessary to ward off “political a...

More on the new "immunity" against law society complaints for Alberta's attorney-general, from @joeldryden.bsky.social: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Judge says referendum proposal on Alberta independence would be unconstitutional | CBC News An Alberta judge says a referendum proposal on Alberta separating from Canada goes against Charter and Treaty rights, in a decision given less than 24 hours after the provincial government introduced ...

Full story, which has been updated several times today, in its final version here: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Just received a gov statement: "Justice Feasby’s decision includes comments that are critical of a bill currently before the Legislative Assembly. ... Judicial statements about the merits of a proposed bill before the legislative branch interfere with well-established democratic processes."

Justice Colin Feasby was not pleased: "Changing legislation to circumvent a valid legal process commenced by the independent officer of the Legislative Assembly ... is the antithesis of the stable, predictable, and ordered society that the rule of law contemplates, and democracy demands."

Judge says proposed referendum on Alberta independence would be unconstitutional | CBC News An Alberta judge says a referendum proposal on Alberta separating from Canada goes against Charter and and Treaty rights, in a decision given less than 24 hours after the provincial government introdu...

After the province tabled Bill 14 yesterday, which would have stopped the court proceedings on whether a proposed Alberta separation question contravenes the Constitution, the judge came out at a previously scheduled appearance today and just... dropped his decision. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

I have yet to be able to ask this question to the minister, but I don't understand where moving Law Society conduct appeals to CKB came from. What kind of court capacity is there for appeals of law society matters? Criminal trials are scheduling into 2027 at the moment.

Alberta legislation would change citizen referendum rules, restrict political party names | CBC News Bill 14, introduced Thursday by Justice Minister Mickey Amery, transfers powers from the chief electoral officer to the minister when deciding whether citizen petition initiatives should proceed. It a...

There is a LOT in this legislation, to the point that big changes for Alberta's legal regulator are all the way at the bottom, including:
-Law Society of Alberta can't mandate training/education beyond a specific scope
-Conduct decision appeals go to Court of King's Bench
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

BREAKING: Alberta Health Services CEO who took over after a controversial firing in January is now himself out.
AHS confirms Andre Tremblay on leave. Minister Matt Jones has appointed a new CEO and chair.
Tremblay was named CEO after Athana Mentzelopoulos was fired earlier this year.

Trial begins for Alberta man accused in foster child's death | CBC News The young boy, who can't be named due to a court-ordered publication ban, was found dead on the floor of a vehicle on a rural property in June 2022. The man caring for him at the time has pleaded not ...

Really, really difficult case in Wetaskiwin court this week about the death of an extremely vulnerable young child who was in foster care: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Hey folks, if you'd like to cover Edmonton courts and justice/crime issues at CBC, now is your chance because I'll be on maternity leave shortly into the new year. Applications due before midnight on Dec. 1! cbcrc.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/CBC_Radio-Ca...

Minister Amery says the acting assistant deputy minister of justice "has a vision for the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, and she's putting that vision into effect."

Meanwhile, the AACP says they need employment protections to protect prosecutors from being dismissed "for improper reasons."

Alberta prosecutors' group concerned over sudden departure of senior Edmonton Crown lawyers | CBC News The Alberta Crown Attorneys’ Association (AACA) says it doesn’t know the reasons for the “unexpected” departures of Edmonton's chief Crown and assistant chief, but said there has been a “significant d...

With the Alberta Crown Attorneys' Association going public about their concerns and questions over Edmonton's chief and assistant chief Crown suddenly out of their jobs, Justice Minister Mickey Amery says there was "no government involvement whatsoever" in the move. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Alberta to invoke notwithstanding clause to shield 3 transgender bills from court challenges | CBC News The Alberta government has tabled legislation that seeks to invoke the notwithstanding clause to shield a suite of bills that affects transgender youth and adults from legal challenges.

Alberta's justice minister has tabled a bill to invoke the notwithstanding clause to shield a suite of legislation from legal challenges. The laws in question restrict the rights of transgender people in access to health care and sports, and affect K-12 education of all students.
#AbLeg #Abed

Edmonton man gets life sentence for role in 2022 lounge shooting | CBC News After a trial, a judge finds Samatar Mohiadin, 28, was the first of four gunmen to open fire outside the north-central Edmonton nightclub on March 12, 2022, just outside a fenced patio where about a d...

It's been a long road for court cases from the 2022 Ertale Lounge mass shooting, but one man has been found guilty of 1st-degree murder. There were 4 shooters total — 1 going to trial in 2027, 1 still wanted on Canada-wide warrants, 1 has never been identified to this day. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

It's actually more like 600 people between the current repayment queue and currently active life leases.

Alberta seniors waiting for payments after ending life leases for housing frustrated by delays | CBC News Former residents of several Christenson Group of Companies retirement buildings have been waiting in queues — in some cases up to two years — to be repaid hundreds of thousands of dollars they put int...

And it's been two years since I wrote the first story on this whole situation: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

More than 200 Albertans owed hundreds of thousands of dollars for life lease repayment | CBC News As a growing number of seniors and their families wait for an Edmonton property developer to repay the money it owes under life-lease contracts, the company says provincial regulations are a new stumb...

There were more than 200 people in the Christenson Group life lease payment queue at the end of 2024. That's now up to 300, and there are 301 more active life leases with payments that will become due when the lease is terminated: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Edmonton developer Christenson Group files for creditor protection | CBC News Facing mounting debt, more than a dozen lawsuits and the possibility of receivership action from secured lenders, a court filing prepared by a lawyer for the Christenson Group says the aim is to marke...

Belatedly sharing from last week: this is a story I started following when I was a business reporter, and I'm still dealing with it as a court reporter: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Crown won't prosecute RCMP officers who killed Siksika man despite ASIRT recommendations | CBC News Alberta prosecutors have rejected the recommendation made by the province’s police watchdog that two officers face charges for the fatal Christmas Day shooting of an intoxicated Siksika man who was wi...

And in another ASIRT report released today, despite recommending charges against RCMP officers who killed a man after firing at him at least 20 times, Crown prosecutors will not be pursuing a case: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

EPS officers cleared in man's death after 2023 arrest | CBC News Alberta's police watchdog says there are no reasonable grounds to charge the Edmonton police officers involved in an arrest where a man died after he was handcuffed and hogtied.

ASIRT says there are no grounds to charge four Edmonton police officers involved in an arrest where a man died after he was restrained, handcuffed and briefly hogtied while lying face down on the ground: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

COVID-19 vaccine free for pregnant Albertans but many don't know that, doctors warn | CBC News Pregnant Albertans are eligible for a free COVID-19 vaccine this fall, but doctors say they are not aware of any clear messaging from the provincial government to either patients or health-care provid...

Pregnant Albertans ARE eligible for a free COVID-19 vaccine this fall...

But doctors say the messaging has not been clear and they worry people don't know this is the case

Latest from me👇
#abhealth
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

The Handmaid's Tale among more than 200 books to be pulled at Edmonton public schools | CBC News A list confirmed by CBC News shows titles like The Handmaid's Tale and Brave New World are among books to be pulled. The development comes after a policy from Alberta's education minister outlines new...

Full list of books on the chopping block in Edmonton public schools — more than what was going around the internet yesterday — here, courtesy of reporting from @jantafrench.bsky.social and Emily Williams: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Saskatoon officers break silence on house party that led to 5 suspensions | CBC News Police officers are speaking out about a backyard hot tub and pool party that ultimately led to the suspension of five officers — including three from the tactical unit — and allegations of assault an...

This story on the Saskatoon Police Service is crazy. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

I checked earlier in the summer and it wasn’t finished, but I need to check again. Hopefully there will be an update at some point.

EPS officer admits to assault against man found sleeping in downtown LRT station | CBC News Edmonton Police Service Sgt. Michael Bates was charged in 2024 after junior officers on duty with him raised concerns about his conduct with a man following police instructions.

An EPS officer has pleaded guilty to an assault charge laid after junior officers patrolling with him reported an unwarranted use of force where he hit a man in the head who had been sleeping in an LRT station.
The officer's sentence is a six-month conditional discharge: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Edmonton extortion scheme linked to notorious B.C. gang, court records show | CBC News An extortion scheme that targeted South Asian homebuilders in Edmonton is linked to the B.C.-based gang Brothers Keepers, court records obtained by CBC News show.

One of the men accused in the "Project Gaslight" arson and extortion targeting South Asian homebuilders in Edmonton has pleaded guilty, putting new details about the scheme on the public record for the first time: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

City council expense policies need reform, audit report says A new report examining council members' expenses shows councillors are mostly following city policy, but there are "systemic issues" to fix.

Truly a story with so many twists that I never could have anticipated, that just seemed to keep going well past the point I thought there was nothing else to do. And it prompted a fair amount of reform about how council expenses are handled/disclosed in Calgary. calgaryherald.com/news/local-n...

Magliocca banned from business travel; council refers expense audit to police The results of the forensic audit come nearly six months after questions started to emerge about some of the costs the Ward 2 councillor billed to taxpayers

And then there was the night where council was behind closed doors for like two hours and then they came out at something like 10:30 p.m. and dropped the motion referring the expense investigation to the police: calgaryherald.com/news/local-n...