WONDERING WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN VISITING A COURTHOUSE?
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MAG GUIDEBOOK-PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES FOR REOPENING COURTS;
The Guidebook (version 5) is available on Ontario.ca, in both English and French
(the Guidebook is a living document and may continue to be updated over time)
For technical information about participating in a Zoom hearing, please see the ZOOM User Guide for Remote Hearings in the Ontario Court of Justice.
For technical information about participating in a JVN hearing, please see the JVN WebRTC Manual and JVN WebRTC Troubleshooting Tips.
RECOVERY SECRETARIAT
On June 19, 2020, Ontario's Recovery Secretariat hosted a virtual town hall on COVID-19 safety and the reopening of Ontario's Courts. The town hall offered an overview of MAG's phased, gradual and responsive plan for court recovery, which aligns with the Framework for Reopening Our Province.
Here are materials from the town hall and information session:
NEW!! Online tool for searching information about criminal and civil matters in the SCJ
*you will need a ONe-Key account
CASELINES INFORMATION
View an 18-minute CaseLines tutorial on how to access, update, invite people and review evidence for cases here. A link to a demonstration of CaseLines may be accessed here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure, in force on January 1, 2021, require email addresses to be provided on backsheets when filing via CaseLines. The requirement to provide email addresses is also set out in the Supplementary Notice to the Profession and Litigants in Civil and Family Matters Including Electronic Filings and Document Sharing (Caselines Pilot).
On January 7, 2020, the above Notice was updated with current information about payment of filing fees for documents filed by email. It now provides, in section 2 (Electronic Court Filings – Justice Services Online):
Where counsel and parties deliver materials by email, subject to direction from the Court, they undertake to file the same materials in paper format, and pay the requisite filing fee, at the court when regular court operations resume. This includes preparation of the court’s Continuing Record for family cases.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CASELINES, VISIT HERE.
QUICK LINKS
CLICK HERE FOR ALL COURT OF JUSTICE COVID-19 NOTICES
CLICK HERE FOR ALL SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE COVID-19 NOTICES
CLICK HERE FOR ALL COURT OF APPEAL COVID-19 NOTICES
CLICK HERE FOR FEDERAL COURT INFORMAION
CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON JURY TRIALS
MOST RECENT FEDERAL COURT PRACTICE DIRECTIVE
COVID GUIDE TO IN-PERSON HEARINGS (FED)
ALL COVID-19 FEDERAL DIRECTIVES
On December 8, 2020, a regulation was filed to amend the Rules of Civil Procedure, O. Reg. 711-20. The regulation makes administrative amendments to align the Rules of Civil Procedure with legislative amendments that were introduced to remove the office of a traditional master. The amendments were made to the Courts of Justice Act through the Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, 2020, Schedule 5. The rule amendments and legislative amendments come into force on January 8, 2021. In addition, O. Reg. 711-20 makes administrative amendments relating to the new rule for the CaseLines document sharing platform by clarifying the requirements for the naming of a document which is to be submitted (amends rule 4.05.3(6)2). These amendments come into force on January 1, 2021. A summary of the regulation is available on Ontario’s Regulatory Registry at: 20-MAG013.
COURT NOTICES
The Daily Court Lists website (www.ontariocourtdates.ca/), which publishes the daily court lists for both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice, introduced two enhancements in Dec 2020:
1. The website now publishes two days of court lists. Case information is provided for both the current day and the next day, and is updated each day at 8am; and
2. The published case information is updated three additional times during the day.
The report of the discount rate subcommittee of the Civil Rules Committee dated April 27, 2020 and entitled “ Report to the Civil Rules Committee on rules 53.09 and 53.10” is now available on the Court of Appeal’s website,
The report was prepared by the discount rate subcommittee to assist the Civil Rules Committee in its quadrennial review in accordance with s.66(4) of the Courts of Justice Act of the following:
1. the discount rate to be used in determining the amount of an award in respect of future pecuniary damages;
2. the method of calculating the amount to be included in an award of damages to offset any liability for income tax on income from investment of the award;
3. the prejudgment interest rate with respect to the rate of interest on damages for non-pecuniary loss.
COA REVIEW: Report of the Discount rate Sub-committee of the Civil Rules Committee
In April 2020, FOLA, along with the Advocates’ Society, the Ontario Bar Association, and the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, created the joint E-Hearings Task Force to review technologies that can help ensure Ontario’s justice system continue to function during and following the coronavirus pandemic.
On May 13, 2020, the e-Hearings Taskforce released some helpful documents (linked below) on best practices to help provide guidance to anyone who is considering preparing for and participating in a remote hearing.
FRENCH VERSIONS
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!
If you've participated in a remote hearing and have some additional suggestions, we'd love to hear them! Please email Katie Robinette at katie.robinette@fola.ca and put "REMOTE HEARINGS" in the subject line.
Best Practices for Remote Examinations for Discovery & Best Practices for Remote Mediations
The OTLA prepared a submission to the Courts and MAG regarding the Modernization of Ontario's Civil Justice System. Chapter 4 covers: Best Practices for Remote Examinations for Discovery
Chapter 5 covers: Best Practices for Remote Mediations
You can download the report here.
QUICK LINKS
REVISED NOTICE: COVID-19: Scheduling of Family Law Matters at the OCJ (Jan 15)
In light of Ontario’s Emergency Order, the new Scheduling of Family Law Matters directive eliminates the reference to certain appearances being presumptively in person and waives the requirement to file sworn documents, beyond unsworn affidavits of service.
Electronically signed documents are acceptable for filing. There is an additional resource by Pro Bono Students Canada for litigants who are unable to afford a lawyer but do not qualify for LAO services. The new Scheduling directive is effective as of January 14, 2021.
OCJ Message regarding the December 2020-January 2021 lockdowns (Dec 22)
Ontario Court of Justice Public Notice RE: Access to Courthouses - November 21, 2020
As of Monday November 30, 2020, accused persons are required to attend for their scheduled appearance in criminal case management court – either by having counsel appear on their behalf or by appearing by telephone or video.
Notice to Public Regarding Provincial Offences Act Matters (Oct 14, 2020) 1
Notice to the Public Regarding POA Matters (Oct 14, 2020) 2
About Criminal Proceedings in the OCJ (Updated September 17, 2020)
About Family Proceedings in the OCJ (Updated September 18, 2020)
About Provincial Offences Act Proceedings in the OCJ (Updated September 11, 2020)
General Information: COVID-19 Procedures and Scheduling
Notices and Info about Criminal Proceedings
Notices and Info about Family Proceedings
Notices and Info about Provincial Offences Act Proceedings
PROVINCIAL NOTICES
On January 25, 2021, the Justice Services Online (JSO) platform will be expanded to enable online filing of Small Claims Court (SmCC) documents that cannot currently be filed through Service Ontario’s Small Claims Online platform. Almost 70 additional SmCC documents will be eligible for filing through JSO.
Users can pay court fees online securely by debit or credit card. Users can also use JSO to request a fee waiver certificate or submit documents with an existing fee waiver certificate.
Getting Access
To access Justice Services Online, users are required to sign in to ONe-key and create a JSO account. ONe-key is a unique electronic credential that allows you to communicate securely with online government services.. Click here to learn more.
The ministry will enhance the service based on user feedback. If you have any questions or would like to provide feedback about the service, please contact Peter O’Keefe (Peter.OKeefe@ontario.ca), Director, Project Implementation Branch, Ministry of the Attorney General.
The Consolidated Notice to the Profession and Public Regarding the Small Claims Court has been amended to: include the document naming protocol that took effect for SCJ and Small Claims Court matters on January 11, 2021; provide that the Court will, as of January 18, 2021, accept all requests to clerk for assessment hearings; and consolidate the two types of settlement conferences (on consent of all parties, and on one party’s request) into one (Jan 15)
Notice to the Profession and Public Regarding Court Proceedings (Jan 13)
Gowning for counsel and attire modifications – Effective January 18, 2021, amendments the Consolidated Provincial Practice Direction specify in paragraph 59 the court attendances (in person) at which counsel are not required to gown. Paragraphs 60 and 61 specify that counsel may modify their traditional court attire in order to accommodate personal circumstances. These amendments relate to in person hearings only. For virtual hearings, the Chief’s COVID-19 notice provides as follows: PROCEDURES GOVERNING ALL SCJ PROCEEDINGS DURING SUSPENSION OF IN-COURT OPERATIONS (Section C #2) Gowning: The requirement to gown for an appearance in the SCJ is suspended. Counsel, parties and others participating in video hearings are expected to dress in appropriate business attire. Judges will similarly dress in business attire. (Jan 11)
Class actions – Effective January 18, 2021, amendments the Consolidated Provincial Practice Direction specify in paragraph 43 that costs outlines must be filed in certification and other motions. Amendments to paragraph 44 create a new Class Proceedings Judge’s Book of Authorities with links to the CanLii website. Counsel need not include in their filed books of authorities any of the cases contained in the Class Proceedings Judges’ Book of Authorities. However, extracts from those authorities which counsel intend to refer should be included in the filed book of authorities. (Jan 11)
Best Practices Guide for Class Proceedings - The Class Actions Bench and Bar Liaison Committee drafted a Best Practices Guide to assist both counsel and judges by providing suggested topics and processes to be considered in connection with the case management of class actions. (Jan 11)
Toronto Commercial List and Estates List Filing Direction – Amendments to the Toronto Commercial List and Estates List Filing Direction clarify requirements for filing documents with the court and uploading them to a document sharing platform in advance of hearings. (Jan 11)
CaseLines FAQ - The CaseLines FAQs have been updated. FAQ 7 sets out the court’s new document naming protocol. FAQ 8 indicates that tabs and bookmarks are now functional in CaseLines. (Jan 11)
Small Claims Court adjournment order – An order of Chief Justice Morawetz further adjourning certain Small Claims Court proceedings to March 1, 2021 is now on the SCJ website. (Jan 11)
The Small Claims Court notice now provides a document naming protocol. It is in the Email Filing section of the public notice. (Jan 11)
Notice to the Profession and Public Regarding Court Proceedings (Dec 22)
DOCUMENT NAMING PROTOCOL
Effective January 11, 2021, amendments to Part C (section 8) of the Consolidated Notice to the Profession, Litigants, Accused Persons, Public and the Media set out a standard document naming protocol for all documents submitted to the court in electronic format.
Chief Justice Morawetz has extended the suspension of jury trials until at least January 29, 2021 in all areas of the province except Green Zones. Jury trials will recommence on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021 at the earliest. See notice.
Notice to the Profession and Public Regarding Court Proceedings (Nov 21)
In view of the public health situation, effective Monday, November 23, 2020, the Court will not commence any new jury selection in any court location except in those in a Green Zone as defined by the Ontario Government as of the date of this notice https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-response-framework-keeping-ontario-safe-and-open.
This will remain in effect until at least January 4, 2021. An update will be issued on December 29, 2020.
SCJ Revised Notice to the Profession RE: use of CaseLines
Recording of the November 18, 2020 CaseLines Information Session (1 hour): https://vimeo.com/480936668
Effective November 30, the Consolidated Notice to the Profession and Public Regarding the Small Claims Court has been amended. The Court will now accept requests for:
Request forms have also been updated and can be found in the same places as the old forms (linked in the relevant section of the notice). For example, the part about motions to set aside defaults reads:
The Court is accepting requests to hear motions to set aside a noting in default or default judgment. To make that request, please submit the request form to the following email address: smallclaims.motions@ontario.ca. Your email must comply with the requirements in the Email Filing section below. The updated form can be accessed by clicking on “request form”.
SCJ Notice: Continued suspension of Small Claims Court operations due to COVID-19 (Nov 3)
Small Claims Court Notice RE: Expansion of Operations (Oct 28). The Small Claims Court public notice now provides that the Court will accept requests for the following matters:
1. motions to set aside a noting in default and/or default judgment;
2. requests to clerk for an assessment hearing, if initially filed before March 16, 2020; and
3. motions in writing, if initially filed before March 16, 2020.
The updated notice also provides new information about email filing.
The Small Claims Court has updated its Consolidated Notice to the Profession and Public
1. The Court is lifting the date range limiting the previously scheduled settlement conferences it will hear remotely at the request of one party.
2. There is now information about the re-opening of Small Claims Court counter service.
SCJ Consolidated Notice to the Profession, Litigants, Accused Persons, Public and the Media provides for an electronic process to apply for a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee (Oct 6)
Supplementary Notice to the Profession and Litigants in Civil and Family Matters Including Electronic Filings and Document Sharing (Caselines Pilot) (September 2, 2020)
Notice to Profession for Appeals from the Landlord and Tenant Board in the Divisional Court (Effective August 24, 2020)
Notice Regarding the Suspension of Small Claims Court Operations (August 26, 2020)
Memorandum – Chief Justice Morawetz to all Associations Re: Caselines (July 29, 2020)
Notice to the Profession re: Justice Participants Unable to attend In-Court Hearings in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (July 21, 2020)
Notice to the Profession – Divisional Court (June 29, 2020)
Notice to the Profession, Litigants, Accused, Media and Members of the Public (June 25, 2020)
Consolidated Notice to the Profession, Litigants, Accused Persons, Public and the Media: Effective May 19, 2020 (May 13, 2020)
Notice Re Urgent Matters Emailed to Trial Co-Ordinators (March 24, 2020)
NOTICES NO LONGER IN EFFECTChief Justice Morawetz has extended the suspension of jury trials until at least January 29, 2021 in all areas of the province except Green Zones. Jury trials will recommence on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021 at the earliest.
PRACTICE DIRECTIONS & NOTICES REGARDING COVID-19
NOTE: All limitation and procedural time periods that were previously suspended pursuant to O. Reg. 73/20 have resumed. For further information, please see the government's news release and O. Reg. 457/20. Procedural time periods that were previously suspended in the Court of Appeal already resumed running on Thursday, July 16, 2020. For information on the resumption of time periods at the Court of Appeal, please see the Practice Directions and Notices regarding COVID-19.
Amended Practice Direction Regarding the Electronic Conduct of Matters During the COVID-19 Emergency (PDF) (July 13, 2020)
Notice Regarding Videconference Appearance Technology (Zoom) (July 6, 2020)
Practice Direction Concerning the Reinstatement of Times Prescribed in Criminal Proceedings in the Court of Appeal for Ontario (PDF) (June 25, 2020)
Practice Direction Concerning the Reinstatement of Times Prescribed in Civil Proceedings in the Court of Appeal for Ontario (PDF) (June 25, 2020)
Practice Direction Concerning the Reinstatement of Times Prescribed in Proceedings Arising Under the Provincial Offences Act in the Court of Appeal for Ontario (PDF) (June 25, 2020)
Practice Direction Concerning Revised Court of Appeal Release Order Form for Use Only During the Exceptional and Evolving Circumstances Concerning COVID-19 (PDF) (April 20, 2020)
Practice Direction Concerning Applications for Bail Pending Appeal at the Court of Appeal for Ontario Given the Exceptional and Evolving Circumstances Concerning COVID-19 (PDF) (April 5, 2020)
Notice Regarding Videoconference and Teleconference Appearance Technology (CourtCall) (March 27, 2020)
Notice of Public Counter Services (March 23, 2020)
Jury selection and trials are scheduled in Brampton, Toronto and Hamilton. In Brampton, the Pearson Convention Centre, and in Toronto, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, are being prepared to support jury selection. In Hamilton, selection will occur on-site at the Hamilton courthouse. Trials at all three locations will be held on-site at each courthouse.
To best ensure the health and safety of all participants (individuals summoned to a jury panel, jurors, the judiciary, parties to the proceeding, and court staff and management, the Recovery Secretariat has developed the attached jury recovery guidance materials.
COVID-19 Recommended Precautionary Measures: Jury Management Manual
Supplementary COVID-19 Guidance for Off-Site Court Locations
To request French translated versions, please get in touch at MAGRecoverySecretariat@ontario.ca
Visit the Federal Court website for access to all forms, e-Filing needs, "how to" docs & videos, Court files, and decisions.
In July 2020, in the midst of COVID-19, the Federal Court released their Strategic Plan for 2020-2025.
The 2020-2025 Strategic Plan addresses the steps that the Court intends to take in the pursuit of two principal objectives: (i) significantly increasing access to justice, and (ii) enhancing the ability of the Court to serve the public across Canada.
The primary focus of the first principal objective will be upon accelerating the Court’s shift away from being a paper-based organization, towards being a more accessible digital court. That shift was given added stimulus in the wake of the outbreak of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, when the Court rapidly expanded its capability to conduct virtual hearings with participants situated in their respective homes, by telephone and video conference.
As the Court continues to expand its digital capabilities, its principal areas of focus will include:
· making more broad-based use of e-filing and electronic service;
· moving toward treating electronically filed materials as the official court record;
· making more widespread use of electronic courtroom software, during in-person and “virtual” hearings;
· enhancing its internal and outward-facing electronic scheduling capabilities;
· providing the parties to disputes before the Court with an ability to electronically access non-restricted documents in the Court’s record;
· providing the public and the media with electronic access to non-confidential Court records, as well as to the non-confidential portion of electronic hearings; and
· making increased use of web-based virtual hearings and webcasting.
This strategic plan builds on the Court’s 2014-2019 Strategic Plan.
In brief, the Court and many others within its ecosystem need to expand their digital capabilities.
A video tour by the Ontario Government showing lawyers and clients what to expect as they re-enter Courthouses and Courtrooms.
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