If passed, the Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 will make changes to enhance open and accessible democratic processes. To strengthen public confidence in electoral processes, citizen initiative and referendum processes, the proposed changes would:
- Deter long-ballot election interference campaigns and preserve the integrity of elections by increasing the number of signatures from 25 to 100 for individuals seeking to become a candidate in a provincial election.
- Reduce confusion for voters, by clarifying and expanding the restrictions for political party names so that a political party cannot be registered if it uses a word or phrase associated with another political party.
- Improve the Citizen Initiative Act process by protecting privacy with increased penalties for misuse of personal information and adjusting the responsibilities of the chief electoral officer to prevent delays with citizen initiative petitions.
“Albertans expect their government to ensure that democratic processes remain fair, transparent, and produce timely outcomes. These changes will strengthen public confidence in the ways that Albertans participate in democracy.”
“The proposed legislation would effectively prevent the occurrence of the long-ballot initiative in Alberta elections by requiring that an elector can only sponsor one candidate at an election or byelection. This is meant to safeguard the integrity of the voting process for all electors in Alberta and the requirement for 100 valid signatures per candidate aligns with federal legislation.”
Additional amendments under the Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 would:
- Strengthen the governance of the Alberta Law Foundation to ensure funds provide direct access to affordable legal services.
- Clarify the role of the Law Society of Alberta to regulate the competence and ethics of law professionals.
- Increase capacity in the courts by extending justice of the peace service by additional five-year terms.
These changes create new opportunities for greater public participation in democracy and ensure Alberta’s democratic processes are accessible and open.
Key facts
- The Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 amends the following legislation:
- Election Act
- Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act
- Conflicts of Interest Act
- Citizen Initiative Act
- Referendum Act
- Legal Profession Act
- Justice of the Peace Act
- Many amendments to the Legal Profession Act are intended to ensure consistency with the Regulated Professions Neutrality Act.
Related information
- Improving democratic processes and access to justice
- Fact Sheet Bill 14: Justice Statutes Amendment Act Fall 2025
Related news
- Free expression for regulated professionals (Nov. 20, 2025)
- Working together to strengthen legal aid (Jul 17, 2025)
- Strengthening democracy (Apr. 29, 2025)