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Alberta Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer introduced a bill in the legislature Tuesday that could make it more difficult for criminal trespassers to sue property owners or tenants for injury or death.

“We need to make sure Albertans have the strongest property rights,” said Schweitzer in the legislature.

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If passed, Bill 27, Trespass Statutes (Protecting Law-Abiding Property Owners) Amendment Act, 2019 would “strengthen protections for law-abiding Albertans and their property,” including changes that could affect the criminal cases of property owners retroactively to January 2018.

People found criminally trespassing on rural properties could face steeper penalties under the proposed law.

The bill would also increase the maximum penalty for trespassing with notice to fines of $10,000 for a first offence and $25,000 for subsequent offences, or a term of imprisonment of up to six months, or both. For those without notice, from $2,000 and $5,000 for first and subsequent offences to $10,000 and $25,000 respectively.