Bill 7 (The Court of Appeal (Residency) Amendment Act, 2024)
Second Reading
From Hansard (31 March 2025)

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Hon. Tim McLeod: — Thank you again, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to move second reading of The Court of Appeal (Residency) Amendment Act, 2024.

Mr. Speaker, beginning in 1915, Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal Act has provided that Regina is the judicial centre for every application, motion, or appeal to the Court of Appeal. In 1953 the Act permitted that certain sittings may be heard at the judicial centre of Saskatoon. Today the Act permits that any application, motion, or appeal related to an action or matter heard in the judicial centres of Battleford, Melfort, Prince Albert, or Saskatoon may also be heard in Saskatoon.

Mr. Speaker, the proposed amendments will allow Saskatoon to be considered the residence for a set number of Court of Appeal judges. The maximum number of judges who may have a deemed residence in Saskatoon will be set out in the regulations, and the Chief Justice will consent to which members of the court will be considered located in Saskatoon for the purposes of travel reimbursement.

As in the provinces of Alberta and Quebec, where the residence of the Court of Appeal judges is split between the two major cities in those provinces, the proposed amendments recognize Saskatoon as the other significant population centre here in Saskatchewan. Creating a residency in Saskatoon for a limited number of judges will also broaden the pool of potential applicants for positions on the Court of Appeal.

The proposed amendments do not change the default that the Court of Appeal sits in Regina and certain matters, including appeals related to prosecutions pursuant to federal legislation, shall be entered for hearing and heard at the sitting of the court in Regina.

Mr. Speaker, the proposed amendments also include housekeeping changes such as removing gendered language from the Act.

I am pleased to move second reading of The Court of Appeal (Residency) Amendment Act, 2024.

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