Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of British Columbia is the province's superior trial court. The Supreme Court is a court of general and inherent jurisdiction which means that it can hear any type of case, civil or criminal. It hears most appeals from the Provincial Court in civil and criminal cases and appeals from arbitrations. A party may appeal a decision of the Supreme Court to the Court of Appeal.

The Supreme Court Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 443, provides for a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, an Associate Chief Justice, and 90 other justices. The legislation also provides for supernumerary judges who sit hearing cases part-time. There are also 15 Supreme Court masters who hear and dispose of a wide variety of applications in chambers. The Supreme Court also has a Registrar who hears assessments relating to bills of costs, reviews lawyers' accounts, settles orders, references of various types and deals with bankruptcy discharge applications.

COVID-19 NOTICES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOTE: All notices are subject to change. Please refer to the Index for a list of the current notices as well as those that have been rescinded and replaced.

CURRENT COVID-19 NOTICES

 

September 21, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 41 – AMENDMENTS TO THE SUPREME COURT CIVIL RULES - TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF CIVIL JURY TRIALS

Government has amended the Supreme Court Civil Rules to temporarily suspend civil jury trials and the related rules beginning on September 28, 2020 and ending on October 3, 2021. Chief Justice Hinkson had previously suspended civil jury trials until January 1, 2021. For more information, see the Court’s notice about the suspension of civil jury trials, available here, and the order-in-council, available here.

 

August 7, 2020
REVISIONS TO COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 34 - EXPANSION OF COURT OPERATIONS - IN-PERSON REGISTRY SERVICES

Further revisions have been made to COVID-19 Notice No. 34 to provide updated information about the suspension of mandatory limitation periods in provincial laws and enactments. The suspension is set to end 90 days after the date on which the last declaration of a state of emergency expires or is cancelled.

 

July 27, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 40 – RESUMPTION OF TRIAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES – CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS

Chief Justice Hinkson has issued COVID-19 Notice 40 to replace COVID-19 Notice 26. Effective July 27, 2020, parties must file and serve trial briefs, trial records and trial certificates in accordance with the Supreme Court Civil Rules and the Supreme Court Family Rules. The timeframes for filing and serving trial briefs, trial records, and trial certificates which were set out in COVID-19 Notice No. 26 no longer apply. The Court’s direction that TMCs proceed by telephone unless the Court otherwise orders continues to apply. For more information, click here. 

 

July 20, 2020
REVISIONS TO COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 14 - APPLICATIONS BY WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS

Further revisions have been made to COVID-19 Notice. 14 to clarify that a party may only bring one application by written submissions per file at a time.

 

July 17, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 38 – CRIMINAL JURY TRIALS RESUMING SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

The Supreme Court of British Columbia will resume criminal jury selections and trials on September 8, 2020. For details please click here.

 

July 13, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 37 – NOTICE TO MEDIA REGARDING ACCESS TO COURT PROCEEDINGS

The Supreme Court of British Columbia recognizes the critical importance of the open court principle, including in the exceptional circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic. With hearings increasing across the province, including by telephone and remote video conference using Microsoft Teams, the Court has taken steps to ensure that the media continue to have options for observing and reporting on court proceedings during this unprecedented time. For more information please click here. 

 

July 13, 2020
REVISIONS TO COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 14 (APPLICATIONS BY WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS) AND COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 28 (CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS BY TELEPHONE)

Effective July 13, 2020 the process for making an application by written submission as set out in COVID-19 Notice. 14 and the process for making a chambers application by telephone as set out in COVID-19 Notice. 28 have been modified.

 

July 10, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 36 – CASE PLANNING CONFERENCES

Effective July 13, 2020, parties may book case planning conferences (CPCs) in accordance with the process set out in the Supreme Court Civil Rules, as modified in this Notice. Unless the court otherwise orders, all CPCs will proceed by telephone until further notice. To view the Notice, click here. 

 

July 7, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 35 – EXPANSION OF COURT OPERATIONS – REMOTE VIDEO CONFERENCE HEARINGS

Effective July 7, in an effort to increase the number of matters that can be heard during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Court will offer the possibility of hearings proceeding by remote video conference (RVC) using Microsoft Teams. Eligibility for RVC hearings will be restricted to those matters that meet the criteria set out in this Notice. RVC hearings are not available for any hearings that involve language interpretation or witnesses, and no part of a trial may be heard by RVC, except in special circumstances by order of the trial judge or case management judge. Booking of RVC hearings is also subject to availability of Court resources, including computer equipment and trained court clerks. Parties must supply their own computer equipment and be fully ready to set up and use Teams on their own, without technical support or trouble-shooting from the Court. For more information, click here.

 

July 7, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 33 - EXPANSION OF COURT OPERATIONS - CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

Effective July 13, 2020, all Supreme Court registries will be open for in-person services. For this and other reasons, on July 13, 2020, the request for hearing process for urgent and essential hearings will be discontinued and regular processes will resume except as set out in the notice. For more information click here.

 

June 30, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 32 – RESUMPTION OF FURTHER COURT OPERATIONS – REGISTRAR HEARINGS

Effective June 30, the Court will resume registrar hearings. Most hearings will proceed by telephone unless the Court otherwise orders. Bankruptcy hearings will proceed in person at locations where there is a resident registrar or master, and by telephone at other locations. Until the resumption of in-person services at registries, trustees and parties may file their documents online through CSO and must submit their hearing records in hard copy following the processes set out in the notice. For more information, click here.

 

June 30, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 31 – RESUMPTION OF FURTHER COURT OPERATIONS – SEALED BID PROCEDURES FOR FORECLOSURES AND OTHER MATTERS INVOLVING SALES OF LAND

With the resumption of civil chambers by telephone, foreclosure hearings have also resumed. The process for submitting sealed bids to the Court for foreclosures and other matters involving the sale of land is set out here.

 

June 30, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 30 - CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS - APPLICATIONS UNDER S. 490 OF THE CRIMINAL CODE (FURTHER DETENTION OF THINGS SEIZED)

During the COVID-19 health emergency, the Supreme Court implemented a temporary procedure for s. 490 applications. This updated Notices describes some changes to the procedure. For more details, click here.

 

June 30, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 29 - CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS - COVID PRE-TRIAL CONFERENCES (CV PTC)

CV PTCs, which were introduced on May 4, 2020, will continue until further notice for all criminal cases where the trial was adjourned or is at risk of being adjourned because of direct or indirect effects of the public health emergency.  This revised Notice directs that counsel are no longer required to complete and submit the CV PTC form, but are expected to appear at the CV PTC informed and instructed about the case. To view the Notice, click here.

 

June 5, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 27 – IN COURT MEASURES DURING THE PANDEMIC

Supreme Court of British Columbia trials will resume on June 8, 2020 in a number of courthouse locations. Some changes within courtrooms and courthouses are required to comply with public health directives and orders regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the legal profession, public and media need to be aware of new measures and precautions in place to ensure safety during court proceedings. For more information click here. Please also refer to the Ministry of Attorney General’s information about COVID-19 Court Recovery Operations summarizing the steps taken to ensure safety in courthouses and courtrooms.

 

May 26, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 24 – FILING OF AFFIDAVITS OF SERVICE AND DELIVERY – CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS

Parties not appearing in person before the Court as a result of measures put in place during the public health emergency are required to file their affidavits of service or delivery and may do so by e-filing. For more information, click here.

 

April 21, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 10 - E-FILING AND BANKRUPTCY DESK ORDER APPLICATIONS

On April 21, 2020, the Supreme Court of British Columbia issued a Notice to the Profession, Public and Media encouraging the use of e-filing for bankruptcy desk order applications. For more information click here.

 

March 27, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 2 - NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC REGARDING AFFIDAVITS FOR USE IN COURT PROCEEDINGS

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Court of Appeal for British Columbia, the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and the Provincial Court of British Columbia will make accommodations for the commissioning of affidavits in circumstances where it is not possible or is medically unsafe for the deponent to attend before a commissioner. All three levels of court will follow the same process, set out in the directives linked below:

Court of Appeal for British Columbia

Supreme Court of British Columbia

Provincial Court of British Columbia



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COVID-19 ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

April 21, 2020
USE OF BASIC BCeID FOR E-FILING

As of April 20, 2020 and for the duration of the suspension of regular operations at the Supreme Court of British Columbia, parties may e-file documents using Basic BCeID. For more information click here.

 

April 21, 2020
CERTIFICATES OF PENDING LITIGATION, CERTIFICATES OF JUDGMENT, AND CERTIFICATES OF COMMENCEMENT OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROCEEDINGS

As of April 17, 2020 and for the duration of the suspension of regular operations at the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Certificates of Pending Litigation, Certificates of Judgment, and Certificates of Commencement of Proceedings may be transmitted electronically. For more information click here.

 

April 17, 2020
AMENDMENT TO THREE COURTS' POLICY ON USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN COURTROOMS

The Three Courts’ Policy on Use of Electronic Devices in Courtrooms has been amended to confirm the Policy’s application to court proceedings conducted remotely. The amended Policy may be found here.

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OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

September 24, 2020
ABBOTSFORD LAW COURTS OPENING

A new location of the Supreme Court is opening in Abbotsford. The courthouse is expected to open to the public on January 18, 2021. For more information about booking trials in Abbotsford, please see the attached notice.



September 16, 2020
NEW WESTMINSTER LAW COURTS REOPENING SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

The Supreme Court will be open as usual on Thursday, September 17, 2020. All Supreme Court proceedings scheduled for hearing at New Westminster on or after September 17, 2020 will proceed as scheduled. 

If you have a question about a matter set on the Supreme Court Scheduling list in New Westminster on Thursday, September 17, 2020 and require further information, please contact Supreme Court Scheduling at sc.scheduling_nw@bccourts.ca.

If you have a matter set on the chambers list in New Westminster on Thursday, September 17, 2020 and require further information, please contact the registry at JAGCSBNWestminsterCourtScheduling@gov.bc.ca

The Supreme Court is co-located with the Provincial Court in New Westminster. For more information about the Provincial Court in New Westminster, please consult the Provincial Court website.

 

September 9, 2020
JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS - MR. JUSTICE IAN CALDWELL AND MADAM JUSTICE JASMIN AHMAD

The Supreme Court of British Columbia welcomes the appointment of the Honourable Mr. Justice Ian Caldwell to New Westminster and the Honourable Madam Justice Jasmin Ahmad to Vancouver. For more information, please see the press release issued by the Department of Justice. Public welcoming ceremonies for Mr. Justice Caldwell and Madam Justice Ahmad will be held on a date to be scheduled. Information about the welcoming ceremonies will be posted on the Court's website.

 

September 1, 2020
JUDICIAL RETIREMENT – THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE T. MARK MCEWAN

The Supreme Court of British Columbia announces that the Honourable Mr. Justice McEwan retired from the Supreme Court of British Columbia at Nelson on August 31, 2020. Mr. Justice McEwan was appointed to the Supreme Court on August 4, 1996.

 

(Announcements Archive)

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