Functional responsibility:
The Judicial District of Fort McMurray is a geographic area in northern Alberta that facilities the adjudication of cases through the province’s court system.

The function of the courts within a judicial district is to hear and pass judgment on criminal and civil cases. Criminal offenses included arson, assault, blackmail, extortion, fraud, kidnapping, liquor infractions, manslaughter, murder, perjury, prostitution, public drunkenness, robbery, sexual assault, theft, treason, vandalism, and vagrancy. Civil matters included the administration of deceased person’s estates, contract disputes, foreclosures, probate of wills, property disputes, and small claims disputes over debts.

The courts holding jurisdiction in this judicial district have included the Provincial Court of Alberta (1981-present), and the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta (1981-present). Other judicial officials within in the judicial district, such as justices of the peace, hold limited powers to hear and judge legal matters.

Predecessor and successor bodies:
Prior to May 4, 1981, civil and criminal matters in this region were heard in the Judicial District of Edmonton.

Administrative relationships:
Following the hierarchy of court system, the decisions made during court proceedings in this judicial district can be appealed to a higher court. Appeals from judgments of the Provincial Court are heard by the Court of Queen’s Bench, followed by the Alberta Court of Appeal, and conclude with the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Government of Alberta appoints justices of the peace and the judges of the Provincial Court of Alberta, while the Government of Canada appoints the judges of all higher courts within the province.

Although the courts are not part of the Government of Alberta, the Court Services Division of Alberta Justice and Attorney-General employs the personnel who schedule trials and hearings, receive documents, create and maintain case files, and provide courtroom security within the judicial district.

Administrative Structure:
Towns and villages within this judicial district have included Fort Chipewyan and Fort McMurray.

Since 1981, several judicial officials have presided over legal matters within the District, judges of the Provincial Court of Alberta and judges of the Court of Queen’s Bench. Justices of the peace also hold limited powers to hear and judge legal matters within this district.

Other officials supporting the operations of the courts include clerks, deputy clerks, sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, court reporters, and process issuers (servers). Clerks receive and file documents submitted to and produced by the court and keep financial accounts. Court reporters create transcripts of court proceedings. Between 1905 and 1996, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs carried out the orders of the courts, such as property seizures, served legal documents on parties to court cases, and provided courtroom security; after 1996, their role was narrowed to providing courtroom security only. In some judicial districts, process issuers rather than sheriffs were employed to deliver legal documents to parties involved in court cases.

As of March 2014, the holdings of the Provincial Archives of Alberta do not include any records created by the Judicial District of Fort McMurray or its courts. Please contact the Fort McMurray Courthouse for all court records requests.