Proposals for a Land Recording and Registration Act for Alberta, Final Report 69 Volume 1
Volume 1 of this report recommends that a new Land Recording and Registration Act be enacted to provide a modern and more efficient system of land recording and registration for Alberta. The new Act would replace the Land Titles Act (Alberta). The report contains a draft of the proposed Act. Parts 1 to 8 of the draft Act establish a reformed system of recording and registering interests in land which preserves the beneficial aspects of the existing system of [...]
Mortgage Remedies in Alberta, Final Report 70
This report considers mortgages of land in Alberta, and the remedies that the law makes available to both the lender and the borrower in the event of default under such a mortgage. It reviews the existing Alberta law and practices. This report recommends that Alberta retain judicial supervision of the foreclosure actions as it is needed to ensure price adequacy in foreclosure sales in times of fluctuating land prices and ensures fair treatment to parties [...]
The Presumption of Crown Immunity, Final Report 71
Section 14 of the Interpretation Act (RSA) declares a presumption that all enactments are not binding on the Crown unless the statute explicitly states otherwise. This report recommends that this presumption be reversed so that all legislation would apply to the Crown unless it states otherwise. There are several reasons for recommendation. First, because case law regarding the Crown exemption is often confusing and inconsistent, a presumption that statutes bind the Crown would add predictability and clarification [...]
Effect of Divorce on Wills, Final Report 72
In Alberta, divorce has no effect on a will made during marriage. If a person has made a will that leaves everything to their spouse, the will is not automatically revoked or otherwise affected by a subsequent divorce. If the person who made the will dies without changing their will or remarrying, everything would go to their former spouse in accordance with the pre-divorce will. In many Canadian and foreign jurisdictions the result would be [...]
Revision of the Surrogate Rules, Final Report 73
This report aims to amend Alberta's outdated Surrogate Rules, which govern the procedure for the administration of an estate. A complicated, detailed endeavour, it was completed in partnership with the Surrogate Rules Committee, and focused solely on the procedural statutory provisions involved. Substantive provisions are examined in another project now underway. Some recommendations are: That one court have carriage of all applications dealing with the administration of a given estate so that courtroom efficiency is [...]
Protection Against Domestic Abuse, Final Report 74
This Report has two primary aims. The first goal is to facilitate the ability of abused individuals to obtain and enforce orders to protect them from their abusers. The process presently in place requires a Court of Queen's Bench appearance, usually requires lawyers, and can be expensive. The report favours granting with the Provincial Court with the power to issue protection orders. This will lower the cost and expand the geographic accessibility of these orders. [...]
Last Clear Chance Rule, Final Report 75
This report recommends that the Contributory Negligence Act (CNA) be amended to abolish the common-law rule known as the "last clear chance" rule. The "last clear chance" rule applied where both the contributory negligence of a plaintiff and the fault of a defendant caused loss to the plaintiff and where one of the them had a "last clear chance" to avoid the effect of the other's fault and failed to do so. If the defendant was the [...]
Should a Claim for the Loss of a Chance of Future Earnings Survive Death? Final Report 76
Section 2 of the Survival of Actions Act (SAA) provides that a "cause of action vested in a person survives for the benefit of his estate." Section 5 of the SAA specifies that "only those damages that resulted in actual financial loss to the deceased or his estate are recoverable." In Duncan Estate v Baddeley, the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled that the loss of a chance of future earnings was an actual financial loss. This report recommends the SAA be amended [...]
Limited Liability Partnerships, Final Report 77
In Alberta, professionals conduct their trades through professional corporations, which do not entitle these professionals to the same types of limited liability protection enjoyed by shareholders in traditional business corporations. The issue this report considers is whether certain professions, which are currently required to practice in unlimited liability firms (such as accounting, legal, and health care), should be allowed to practice through limited liability firms. This report recommends that these professions, and all others, be [...]