EXHIBIT 31.1
                                                                   ------------


               CERTIFICATION REQUIRED BY RULE 13A-14(A) OR 15D-14
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


CERTIFICATION

I, Ernie G. Sapieha, certify that:

1.       I have reviewed  this annual report on Form 40-F of Compton  Petroleum
         Corporation;

2.       Based on my  knowledge,  this  report  does  not  contain  any  untrue
         statement  of a  material  fact  or  omit to  state  a  material  fact
         necessary to make the statements  made, in light of the  circumstances
         under which such  statements were made, not misleading with respect to
         the period covered by this report;

3.       Based on my knowledge,  the financial statements,  and other financial
         information  included in this report,  fairly  present in all material
         respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows
         of the issuer as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.       The  issuer's  other  certifying  officer  and I are  responsible  for
         establishing  and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as
         defined in Exchange Act Rules  13a-15(e) and  15d-15(e))  and internal
         control  over  financial  reporting  (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
         13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the issuer and have:

         a)       Designed such disclosure  controls and procedures,  or caused
                  such disclosure  controls and procedures to be designed under
                  our supervision, to ensure that material information relating
                  to the issuer,  including its consolidated  subsidiaries,  is
                  made   known  to  us  by  others   within   those   entities,
                  particularly  during the period in which this report is being
                  prepared;

         b)       Designed such internal control over financial  reporting,  or
                  caused such internal  control over financial  reporting to be
                  designed  under  our  supervision,   to  provide   reasonable
                  assurance  regarding the  reliability of financial  reporting
                  and the  preparation  of  financial  statements  for external
                  purposes in accordance  with  generally  accepted  accounting
                  principles;

         c)       Evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the  issuer's   disclosure
                  controls  and  procedures  and  presented  in this report our
                  conclusions   about  the   effectiveness  of  the  disclosure
                  controls and procedures,  as of the end of the period covered
                  by this report based on such evaluation; and

         d)       Disclosed in this report any change in the issuer's  internal
                  control over  financial  reporting  that occurred  during the
                  period  covered  by the  annual  report  that has  materially
                  affected,  or is reasonably likely to materially  affect, the
                  issuer's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.       The issuer's other certifying  officer and I have disclosed,  based on
         our  most  recent   evaluation  of  internal  control  over  financial
         reporting,  to the  issuer's  auditors  and  the  audit  committee  of
         issuer's  board of directors  (or persons  performing  the  equivalent
         functions):

         a)       All significant  deficiencies and material  weaknesses in the
                  design  or  operation  of  internal  control  over  financial
                  reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
                  issuer's  ability to record,  process,  summarize  and report
                  financial information; and

         b)       Any fraud, whether or not material,  that involves management
                  or  other  employees  who  have  a  significant  role  in the
                  issuer's internal control over financial reporting.


Dated this 31st day of March, 2008.



/s/ Ernie G. Sapieha
------------------------------------
Ernie G. Sapieha
President & Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer),
Compton Petroleum Corporation