Links and Resources
The following links may be useful.
This is the Government of Canada department dealing with immigration matters.
This is the Government of Alberta's Queen's Printer website, which has links to all of the laws (statutes and regulations) passed by the Alberta Legislature. When reading legislation, you should be aware that some words have meanings that are either defined in legislation or by court interpretation. It is important to realize that any given piece of legislation may have been interpreted or even overturned by a court decision. Also, other pieces of legislation may have some effect on, or even trump, any given piece of legislation. Even lawyers can have trouble interpreting legislation, so you should not necessarily make legal decisions based on a quick reading of a piece of legislation. If you have questions regarding a piece of legislation, a lawyer (such as myself) or student-at-law may provide you with a legal opinion about the proper interpretation, usually for a fee.
This is an excellect website that contains links to federal and provincial legislation throughout the country, as well as (many) court decisions for the various levels of courts in Canada. As with legislation, court decisions are often difficult to interpret correctly, even by lawyers. Also, lower courts may have their decisions overturned by higher courts, and court decisions in one province may differ from court decisions in another province. A lawyer or student-at-law may provide you with a legal opinion about one or more court decisions, usually for a fee.
This website contains a lot of useful information about the Alberta Courts, such as decisions of the courts, contact information, and important forms that must be filed with the various courts.
Law Society of Alberta The Law Society of Alberta is the body that oversees the practice of law in Alberta.
This website contains information about acquiring legal aid coverage in Alberta. If you believe you are eligible for legal aid coverage and wish to apply for legal aid coverage, you should contact Legal Aid Alberta as soon as possible, since it can take some time for Legal Aid Alberta to process an application for coverage.
Calgary Legal Guidance offers free legal clinics on a variety of topics and provides pro bono legal services for clients who meet certain eligibility requirements. For those who do not qualify for Legal Aid coverage, Calgary Legal Guidance may be a good alternative.