Séries 8 - Alberta Regional Tribunal Records

On January 28, 1946 a decree from the Sacred Congregation of the Sacraments was issued to established provincial tribunals in Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Regina and Vancouver. The Vicariates of Edmonton were served by the newly erected Provincial Tribunal of Vancouver.

Prior to the establishment of the Regional Tribunals the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Edmonton was responsible for overseeing any paper work related to the declaration of nullity of marriages.

On January 7, 1956 a decree established the ecclesiastical tribunals for the Province of Edmonton. The Alberta Regional Tribunal was thus established to serve the diocese of the civil provinces of Alberta and the Northwest Territories which includes the Archdiocese of Edmonton, the Diocese of Calgary, the Diocese of St. Paul, the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan, the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith, and the Ukrainain Eparchy of Edmonton (under whose jurisdiction fall all the Ukrainian Catholics of Alberta).

The Archbishop of Edmonton, Most Rev. John MacDonald, was the first moderator of the new tribunal. Msgr. Donahoe was appointed as the first Officialis. He served in this capacity until 1963 when Rev. O'Reilly became the second Officialis.

On June 1, 1973 Sr. Marion Murray became the first woman canonist to join the staff of the Alberta Regional Tribunal.

A branch of the Tribunal was established in the Diocese of Calgary in 1979.

Since 1984 the Tribunal of Second Instance (also called the Canadian Appeal Tribunal) for all of Canada has been located in Ottawa.