Publications
Competence and Communication in the Alberta Evidence Act, Final Report 111
On occasion, a court must determine whether a proposed witness is competent to give evidence. The question arises with child witnesses and may also arise for adults with cognitive impairment. Alberta legislation reflects outdated assumptions about children’s abilities and fails to address adults with cognitive impairment. It also has a gap affecting witnesses who use alternative means of communication. Other Canadian jurisdictions have already reformed legislation to address these issues. The Alberta Law Reform Institute […]
| AREA OF LAW | Administration of Justice Courts Procedure |
| TAGS | affirmation, child, communication, competence, evidence, oath, testify, witness |
| FORMAT | Publications |
| FILE | FR111.pdf |
January 1, 2018
Oaths and Affirmations, Final Report 105
A person who gives evidence by spoken testimony or by written affidavit must promise to tell the truth before giving that evidence. Currently, the Alberta Evidence Act requires people to swear a religious oath unless they take the initiative to actively object to doing so. The judge or official must at that point conduct a short inquiry and be satisfied that the objection is justified on certain specified grounds. Only then may the person be allowed to […]
| AREA OF LAW | Administration of Justice Courts |
| TAGS | religious, secular, truth, lie, trial, swear, affirmation, Court, evidence, oath, witness |
| FORMAT | Publications |
| FILE | FR105.pdf |
September 1, 2014