Category: Law Reform Page 1 of 6

Matter Commented On: A Proposal for “No Coal” Legislation: introducing An Act to Protect the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains from Coal Exploration and Development.

PDF Version: “No Coal” Legislation for Alberta’s Eastern Slopes

As readers of ABlawg will know, we have consistently provided coverage of coal law and policy issues in Alberta since the Government of Alberta revoked Peter Lougheed’s 1976 Coal Development Policy for Alberta in May 2020. Our coverage includes a collection of posts here.

Decrypting Bill C-22, Part III: Backdoors by Another Name: The Limits of C-22’s Systemic Vulnerability Safeguard

By Alexandra Lyn

On October 26, 2026

In Law Reform, National Security, Privacy

By: Alexandra Lyn, Joel Reardon, and Michael Nesbitt

Legislation Commented On: Bill C-22, An Act respecting lawful access, 1st Sess, 45th Parl, 2026 (as passed by the House of Commons 18 June 2026)

PDF Version: Decrypting Bill C-22, Part III: Backdoors by Another Name: The Limits of C-22’s Systemic Vulnerability Safeguard

Status: As of this writing, Bill C-22 has passed the House of Commons and remains at second reading in the Senate, where debate most recently resumed on 8 October 2026 (LEGISinfo, Bill C-22 (45-1)).

This is the third post in our four-part series translating the ongoing debate on Bill C-22, An Act respecting lawful access, for non-technical and non-legal readers. By way of reminder, lawful access refers to law enforcement’s legal powers to conduct searches and seizures of private spaces and information—think searches of your home (spaces) or your computer or browsing history (information)—for investigative purposes. Bill C-22 is the government’s controversial attempt to update Canada’s lawful access regime by granting police broad new powers of search and seizure.

Decrypting Bill C-22, Part 2: Keeping Tabs: C-22 and the Year (Now Half-Year) of Metadata Retention

By Alexandra Lyn

On October 19, 2026

In Law Reform, National Security, Privacy

By: Alexandra Lyn, Joel Reardon, and Michael Nesbitt

Legislation Commented On: Bill C-22, An Act respecting lawful access, 1st Sess, 45th Parl, 2026 (as passed by the House of Commons 18 June 2026)

PDF Version: Decrypting Bill C-22, Part 2: Keeping Tabs: C-22 and the Year (Now Half-Year) of Metadata Retention

This is the second post in our four-part series that translates the ongoing debate over Bill C-22 for non-technical and non-legal readers. The first post introduced Bill C-22 and provided background information to help understand the justifications and criticisms of the Bill, including a brief primer on the legal concept of “lawful access” and search and seizure law under section 8 of the Charter, which readers may wish to review as it forms a backdrop to this blog post. Part I can be found here. In that post, we promised three subsequent blog posts on three core criticisms of Bill C-22. This installment tackles one of the most far-reaching of those three core criticisms of Bill C-22: the Bill’s mandatory metadata retention provisions.

Intimate Image Abuse in the Age of Deepfakes: Reforming Alberta’s Civil Legislation: Part 2

By Emma Marck

On August 31, 2026

In Internet Law, Law Reform, Privacy

By: Emma Marck

Case/Decision/Legislation/Bill Commented On: Protecting Victims of Non-consensual Distribution of Intimate Images Act, SA 2017, c P-26.9

PDF Version: Intimate Image Abuse in the Age of Deepfakes: Reforming Alberta’s Civil Legislation: Part 2

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection reported that non-consensual distribution of intimate images (NCDII) involving Canadian youth increased by approximately 21% between 2024 and 2025, from 436 to 527. Despite the growing prevalence of intimate image abuse, Alberta does not provide a dedicated process for obtaining an expedited intimate image protection order or expressly authorize orders requiring online platforms to remove intimate images. Victims seeking protective relief must instead navigate ordinary civil proceedings or pursue voluntary removal through online platforms.

Intimate Image Abuse in the Age of Deepfakes: Reforming Alberta’s Civil Legislation: Part 1

By Emma Marck

On August 25, 2026

In Internet Law, Law Reform, Privacy

By: Emma Marck

Legislation Commented On: Protecting Victims of Non-consensual Distribution of Intimate Images Act, SA 2017, c P-26.9

PDF Version: Intimate Image Abuse in the Age of Deepfakes: Reforming Alberta’s Civil Legislation: Part 1

One in ten American teenagers personally knows someone who has had deepfake non-consensual intimate images (DNCII) of them created, and 6% reported having been victimized by DNCII (Thorn, Deepfake Nudes & Young People: Navigating a New Frontier in Technology-Facilitated Nonconsensual Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (Thorn: 2025) at 14). Recent incidents in Alberta demonstrate why intimate image legislation must address DNCII and its online distribution. In December 2025, a Calgary teen was charged in relation to DNCII of students from several schools. Six months later, two Edmonton boys were charged after creating and sharing DNCII of classmates. Reported consequences include job loss, school expulsion, post-traumatic stress disorder, and, in some cases, death by suicide (Mary Anne Franks, “‘Revenge Porn’ Reform: A View from the Front Lines” (2017) 69:5 Florida L Rev 1251 at 1259, 1263).