Functional responsibility:
The Judicial District of Stettler was a geographic area in east central Alberta where courts had jurisdiction over criminal and civil matters. Typically, the judicial district in which a civil or criminal matter occurred is where a judge would hear and try that case.

The function of the courts within a judicial district was 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 Supreme Court of Alberta (1914-1919), the District Court of Alberta (1914-1936), and the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Alberta (1919-1936). Other judicial officials within in the judicial district, such as justices of the peace or magistrates, held limited powers to hear and judge legal matters.

The District also functioned as a registration district for documents pertaining to bankruptcies, chattel mortgages (claims against possessions), liens (claims against real estate) and partnerships.

Predecessor and successor bodies:
Prior to the creation of the District on October 1, 1914, civil and criminal matters in this region were heard in the Judicial District of Wetaskiwin or Judicial District of Calgary. After October 1, 1936, the civil and criminal matters were heard in the Judicial District of Red Deer.

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. At the time of this District’s creation in 1914, the judgment of a local magistrate or justice of the peace could be appealed to a judge of the District Court of Alberta, then to judges of the Supreme Court of Alberta, followed by judges of the Supreme Court of Canada, and finally to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in England.

The Government of Alberta appointed justices of the peace and magistrates, while the Government of Canada appointed the judges of all higher courts within the province.

Although the courts are not part of the Government of Alberta, the Department of Attorney-General employed the personnel who scheduled trials and hearings, received documents, created and maintained case files, and provided courtroom security within the judicial district.

Administrative Structure:
The towns and villages found within the District included Big Valley, Castor, Coronation, and Stettler.

Several judicial officials presided over the courts within the District, including magistrates; judges of the District Court; judges of the Supreme Court; and judges of the Trial Division of the Supreme Court. Justices of the peace also held limited powers to hear and judge legal matters within this district.

Other officials supporting the operations of the courts included clerks, deputy clerks, sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, court reporters, and process issuers (servers). Clerks received and filed documents submitted to and produced by the court and keep financial accounts. Court reporters created transcripts of court proceedings. 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. In some judicial districts, process issuers rather than sheriffs were employed to deliver legal documents to parties involved in court cases.