Critics slam 'outrageous' changes to how traffic tickets are handled and disputed in Alberta
Changes to how traffic tickets are handed out and disputed are coming soon in Alberta.
The provincial government is moving to Phase Two of the Provincial Administrative Penalties Act and Justice Transformation Initiative next month and it will essentially eliminate traffic court, instead moving the process online.
"In essence what it is that, instead of you having the right to a trial, you do not get to go to trial. Instead of being presumed innocent until proven guilty, you're presumed guilty until proven innocent," said Charlie Pester, a former police officer who currently fights traffic tickets with POINTTS Calgary.
The changes are being done to streamline the process and free up more court and policing resources, according to the government.
About two million traffic tickets will be diverted away from court, provincial documents state, and it will free up at least ten prosecutors who will be able to handle criminal matters instead.
But Pester says the changes will lead to a backwards system he calls "outrageous."
Instead of getting a speeding or distracted driving ticket with a court date on it, it'll all be handled digitally through an online portal. People will instead have just a week to review a ticket with an adjudicator rather than a judge. The cost to review is a non-refundable fee of up to $150, depending on the amount of the fine.
"There's no court, there's no cross-examination, there's no witnesses. This is simply: if you're charged, you have to prove you didn't do it and you have to pay more money to do that," Pester said.
CTV News requested an interview with Alberta's transportation minister and was instead sent a short statement.
"Alberta’s government has stated it will be expanding the SafeRoads program. That review is currently underway. We hope to make an announcement soon," it reads.
The Calgary Police Service says training for the new process will start next week, ahead of its February 1st implementation. The service says it cannot talk about the changes further until the province makes a formal announcement.
"With a judge of the court, they can reduce the amount of a ticket or they can give you more time to pay. Under this regime, it's just confirm or cancel. So there are far fewer powers this tribunal has," said Brynne Harding, a lawyer with Bennett Jones and teacher at the University of Calgary.
Harding says this next step in the program will free up court resources, something that is much-needed to address a backlog of cases in the province, but it will also add additional hurdles for people wanting to challenge their traffic tickets.
"Now you're going to have to challenge your ticket to a government body and the government body has stricter rules and fewer powers than the court has. So, basically, there are fewer challenge options now than there used to be," Harding said.
Phase Three of the program will extend to all fines in Alberta, but a timeline for when that transition will happen hasn't been decided and will be determined based on how the second phase goes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.