The Government of Saskatchewan and the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan have announced that two new municipal bylaws courts are now serving the communities of Rosthern, Fort Qu’Appelle and surrounding areas. These court locations will adjudicate municipal bylaw infractions
The Rosthern and Fort Qu’Appelle courts began operations in late March 2026.
“The addition of two bylaw courts will protect Saskatchewan communities and ensure municipal bylaws are properly enforced,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod said. “These new courts will increase access to justice, streamline municipal bylaw enforcement and empower community safety and bylaw officers in their ongoing work to maintain order and promote safety in Saskatchewan communities.”
The additional Bylaw Court locations in Fort Qu’Appelle and Rosthern will alleviate pressure on the existing municipal bylaw courts in Regina and Saskatoon. Regional municipal bylaw courts will be presided over by Justices of the Peace.
This new court model is based on the regional bylaw court model already in operation in Kindersley, with 42 partnered west-central Saskatchewan municipalities. This model has successfully increased compliance with bylaws in the partnered communities and diverted bylaw matters from regular court dockets.
Advantages of the bylaw court hub model include:
* increased revenue for municipalities through voluntary fine payments;
* streamlined court attendance for enforcement officers;
* improved access to bylaw courts for multiple communities; and
* enhanced accountability and enforcement for bylaw offenders.
“Investing in the Justice of the Peace program strengthens our justice system and ensures timely, fair resolution of bylaw matters for the community,” Provincial Court of Saskatchewan Chief Judge Shannon Metivier said.
In addition to the bylaw courts, new traffic safety courts are also planned for Rosthern and Fort Qu’Appelle in the summer. Once this work is complete, bylaw court and traffic safety court in Rosthern and Fort Qu’Appelle will be combined into a single sitting.
Additional major court investments in the 2026-27 Justice and Attorney General budget include continued investment in the Court Modernization Project, providing $3 million for ongoing enhancements such as modernized courtroom technology and infrastructure, enhanced safety and security and the continued implementation of the Judicial Scheduling, Tracking and Amalgamated Reporting (J-STAR) system in the Court of King’s Bench.