It was a pop of a cork heard across two provinces, but for Alberta, the champagne fell totally flat.
Those expecting salvation in a B.C. Supreme Court ruling, hoping a legal challenge against rigid drunk driving rules would stop similar legislation next door, have little to toast.
There’s nothing to celebrate, because the B.C. court only shot down the law for drivers over .08, and not those losing their cars for blowing below the legal blood-alcohol limit.
It means Alberta can safely push ahead with Bill 26, giving Alberta police the ability to suspend licences and impound vehicles for motorists caught over .05, but less than .08.
Worse yet, B.C.’s Supreme Court ruling suggests Alberta’s upcoming law will withstand future legal challenges, say lawyers watching the case.
“Alberta played it smart,” said B.C. lawyer Paul Doroshenko, one of that province’s most outspoken critics of the B.C. law.
“Alberta is only proposing changes to the .05 section, and Alberta has stayed with corrective measures — what they did in B.C. is punitive.”
Source: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/b-c-drunk-driving-law-tripped-court-alberta-203014059.html