Bill 9 was presented to the Alberta Legislature on April 13, in hopes of modernizing the enforcement of provincial offences.

Kathleen Ganley, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, presented the Bill to end the practice of issuing warrants for unpaid fines for minor infractions.

Infractions such as not shoveling a sidewalk or not paying a transit fare would no longer require a warrant, instead the infractions would be enforced using other civil measures.

Restriction of motor vehicle registry services, filing writs against property, and garnishing wages, bank accounts, income tax refunds and GST rebates are some of the ways the government will look to enforce the minor offences.

By finding alternatives, Ganley is hoping to free up police, court, and correctional resources while still holding the individuals accountable for the infractions. 

“Our government is committed to finding efficiencies that will help address the challenges of these fiscal times to ensure stability for key public services. It makes sense to stop issuing warrants for unpaid fines for vulnerable people who, in the past, have ended up in jail."

Each year it is estimated that court staff spend 9000 hours processing warrants for minor infractions.

Bill 9 also includes an amendment that will switch paper tickets to electronic tickets, streamlining the process to reduce ticket errors, lower costs, and eliminate redundant data entry for police and court staff.

The amendments will not change the process in which someone is charged, police will still be required to have reasonable grounds to issue a ticket.

Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nova Scotia have all implemented a similar process.