CBC has been given a deadline of April 28 by legal counsel for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to retract and apologize for articles accusing her of attempting to interfere in criminal cases. The letter from the law firm Bennett Jones alleges defamation, claiming that CBC’s articles seek to sensationalize already addressed allegations and create a false and defamatory narrative against the premier and the administration of justice in Alberta. Smith’s lawyer has stated that Alberta Justice searches revealed “no evidence of any contact” between the Crown and the premier regarding COVID-related prosecutions. The letter threatens legal action against CBC unless it retracts the articles and publishes an apology and correction online. The NDP leader, Rachel Notley, has called for an independent investigation into Smith’s alleged interference in the justice system. On her weekly radio show, “Your Province, Your Premier,” Smith said she kept her campaign promise to raise concerns about COVID-related prosecutions and that she was advised to let things play out in court.