Law Cleanup: Licensing, Records, Courts

Summary#

• Bill 27 makes small “housekeeping” fixes to several Saskatchewan laws. It updates job titles, replaces old cross-references, corrects wording in English and French, and modernizes some language.

• It does not create new programs or major policy changes. Most changes aim to reduce confusion and keep laws current.

• Key changes:

  • Updates who “dentist” and “pharmacist” refer to, tying them to today’s licensing laws.
  • Removes or replaces outdated law names and section numbers (for example, the old Saskatchewan Insurance Act and an old income tax act).
  • Updates court titles to “Chief Justice of the Court of King’s Bench” and “Associate Chief Justice of the Court of King’s Bench.”
  • Modernizes wording in the Vital Statistics Act (replacing “his or her” with neutral terms and clarifying “health care professional”).
  • Fixes French terms and section references, including changing “the Queen” to “the Crown” in the French text of the International Child Abduction Act.
  • Corrects the name “Western Canada Lottery Corporation.”

What it means for you#

• General public

  • Day-to-day services do not change. These are mostly wording and reference updates.
  • Forms and letters from Vital Statistics may use clearer, gender-neutral language.
  • The ability to request birth, death, and marriage documents stays the same.

• Families and caregivers

  • Child support rules are unchanged. The law now uses the clearer term “child support order,” which matches other parts of the Act.

• People with insurance disputes

  • You can still take many insurance disputes to Small Claims Court. The law now points to the current Insurance Act, which reduces confusion about which court can hear your case.

• Health professionals

  • Dentists and pharmacists are now defined by reference to today’s licensing laws. This keeps existing permissions and duties linked to the right regulators. No change to who can practice.

• Non-profits

  • No change in how you operate. One French-only section reference is corrected.

• Courts and legal professionals

  • Updated titles for the Court of King’s Bench leadership.
  • Cross-references and terms are cleaned up, which should make statutes easier to read and apply.

• Cross-border child cases

  • No change to how cases are handled. A French-only update replaces “the Queen” with “the Crown.”

Expenses#

Estimated annual cost: likely minimal; mainly wording and cross-reference updates.

• Minor one-time administrative work to update forms, websites, and guidance.
• Possible brief staff training or notices about the updated references.
• No new programs or large spending.

Proponents' View#

• Keeps the law accurate by removing outdated references and fixing typos.
• Reduces confusion for the public and frontline staff with clearer, modern language.
• Aligns definitions (like dentist, pharmacist, and health care professional) with current licensing rules.
• Helps courts and registries work more smoothly by using the right titles and cross-references.
• Maintains access to Small Claims Court for insurance disputes by pointing to the current Insurance Act.

Opponents' View#

• Uses legislative time for technical edits instead of larger policy issues.
• “Many small fixes in one bill” can be hard for people to track and review.
• Even small cross-reference changes can create short-term uncertainty while forms and guidance catch up.
• Language changes in one official language (English or French) but not the other could cause minor inconsistency until fully harmonized.