EDMONTON -- Alberta Court of Queen's Bench will only hear jury trials that have already started and "emergency and urgent matters" moving forward.
The court announced on Sunday a suspension of sittings "to help contain the spread of COVID-19."
No new bookings will be made March 16 to 27 unless a matter is an emergency or considered urgent.
In deciding which cases will not be adjourned, court is considering whether doing so would cause harm, or if there is a risk of loss of jurisdiction or expiration of a protection or restraining order.
Family matters where there is a risk of violence or removal of a child or a review of a protection order may be heard, as could civil matters like pandemic-related orders or injunctions and restraining orders.
Detention and bail review orders as well as arrest warrants may still be heard, as well.
Urgent matters, which are not prioritized as high but may still need to be heard while court is reducing services, include arraignments and guardianship and trusteeship orders.
Cases that were previously scheduled to be heard between March 16 and 27 will be rescheduled.
Alberta Court of Queen's Bench decided on Friday to postpone jury trials and selections until May 31.
The Provincial Court of Alberta is limiting operations starting Tuesday. This includes the closure of all traffic courts, although Albertans were reminded they may have to make fine payements or Time to Pay extensions. More information about how civil and family and child protection matters would be handled is available online.
Visits to Alberta provincial correctional facilities and young offender centres were also suspended Monday.
