Graham Report recommends a unified family court for Alberta
By Jason Chance

MLA Marlene Graham, Q.C.

The Unified Family Court Task Force has recommended the creation of a single court in Alberta to address all aspects of family law matters.

Led by Calgary-Lougheed MLA Marlene Graham, Q.C., the task force consulted with members of the judiciary, lawyers, family law stakeholders and the public before compiling its recommendations in a final report.

Justice Minister Dave Hancock and Graham released the report to the public on May 24, 2001. Also on the task force were: Albert Klapstein, MLA Leduc; Hung Pham, MLA Calgary-Montrose; Justice Marguerite Trussler, Court of Queen's Bench; Assistant Chief Judge Janet Franklin, Provincial Court, Family and Youth Division; Michael Benson, Native Counseling Services of Alberta; and Rhonda Ruston, Q.C., Lethbridge family law lawyer.

"Our consultation found overwhelming support for the concept of a unified family court, with 80 percent of lawyers and 90 percent of family law litigants expressing support," said Graham. "This would eliminate the difficulty of having two courts with different jurisdictions, which can result in conflicting orders or cases in which one court can't deal with all of a family's legal problems that result from family breakdown or related issues."

Key recommendations from the Graham Report include making a number of specialized services available to litigants in Alberta's unified family court, including educational and support courses for parents and children, services relating to access to the courts, and alternative dispute resolution.

Upon releasing the report, Minister Hancock requested additional feedback from the public on the report's recommendations.

"This report is based on an extensive review and consultation process. The questionnaire alone resulted in nearly 500 submissions," Hancock said."I'm looking forward to hearing from Albertans on the Graham Report's recommendations. The report and the feedback we receive will assist us in developing a court that best meets the needs of Albertans."

The Graham Report is available on the Alberta Justice web site at www.justsolgen.gov.ab.ca (click on "Initiatives and Events") or by calling Justice Communications at (780) 427-8530.