File an appeal with the Licence and Community Standards Appeal Board

In accordance with the Board’s procedure, you must submit all evidence that you intend to rely upon during the hearing (for example: photographs, diagrams, sketches and any other materials) in electronic format by noon, eight (8) days before the hearing date (usually Monday) to both the Board and to the other party or parties, as described in the LCSAB Procedure. The Board may refuse to receive and consider evidence that is not disclosed in advance of the hearing if it would be unfair to other parties to the proceeding.

• Hearings will be conducted virtually using Microsoft Teams. Information about how to participate in the Microsoft Teams hearing is available from the LCSAB Administration if needed.
• Hearings are open to the public. If you would like to attend, you are invited to contact the Appeal Board administration by email at lcsab@calgary.ca or call 403‑268‑5312.

Hearings are usually scheduled for the last Tuesday of every month commencing at 9 a.m.

Persons who file an appeal are encouraged to make a verbal presentation at the hearing. If you do not attend the hearing, the Board may dismiss your appeal, proceed to determine the matter, or adjourn the matter.

The order of the typical hearing is as follows:

• The City Administration and their witnesses present their submissions first, followed by questions from the Board.
• The appellant and their witnesses make their presentation to the Board, followed by questions from the Board.
• The City Administration will have an opportunity to respond and provide a summary of their evidence.
• The appellant will have the final opportunity to respond and summarize their evidence.
• Following the public portion of the hearing, the LCSAB will end the Microsoft Teams session and meet in private to consider and decide the appeal.
• In some cases the LCSAB may vary the order of speakers if in its judgment, that is required to conduct a fair hearing.

The Board may allow cross-examination by the parties on a case-by-case basis.

Please note that the Board is not an evidence-seeking body. It relies on the written evidence provided, as well as verbal submissions made by the parties at the hearing, as the basis for its decisions. It is therefore important that anybody appearing before the Board ensure that they present sufficient evidence to support their position.

Listed below are some suggestions that will assist you in making a presentation to the LCSAB:

• At the beginning of your presentation, please introduce yourself for the record and state your position in favour of the appeal.
• Introduce your witnesses. The Chair may ask the witnesses to be excluded from the hearing. They will be called upon when it is their turn to speak.
• All communication goes ‘through the Chair.’ For example, if you have a question, you could say “Mr./Madam Chair” or “through the Chair.” This shows that you acknowledge the Chair’s authority in the hearing.
• Stick to the issues relevant to the appeal and the Board and its jurisdiction.
• Present your opinion regarding any errors in fact or interpretation.

If any party fails to attend, the LCSAB may proceed with the hearing and decide an appeal if it is satisfied that notice of the hearing was properly issued. It may dismiss the appeal or adjourn the matter to another meeting date.

Parties should submit a written request for an adjournment, including the reasons for the request, to the LCSAB office as soon as possible either by mail, dropping off in person at the office, or email to lcsab@calgary.ca. The Board will not adjourn a hearing unless there are compelling reasons to do so. According to the Board’s procedures, if the request is received prior to the scheduled hearing, the request will be considered by the Chair, and a written response will be sent to both parties.

If you are unable to submit a request in writing prior to the hearing, a verbal request can be made at the time of the hearing. Adjournment requests are not granted automatically. The Board considers each request on a case-by-case basis. The Board will not adjourn a hearing unless there are compelling reasons to do so.

If you are unable to attend the hearing to speak to the adjournment request, you should have someone attend on your behalf who is prepared to discuss the request and/or present your evidence and submissions to the Board, in the event the request is denied.