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 95 other justices. The legislation also provides for supernumerary judges who sit hearing cases part-time. There are also 14 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 Please refer to the Index for a list of the current notices as well as those that have been rescinded and replaced.


To subscribe to the Jury Returning notification service to receive an alert when the jury in a trial is returning to the courtroom, please click here.


ANNOUNCEMENTS


September 28, 2022
NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

The Supreme Court of British Columbia will be closed on September 30 in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The purpose of the day is to acknowledge the tragic and painful history of the residential school experience, to honour the healing journey of the Survivors, their families and their communities and to commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation. 


September 14, 2022
NOTICE REGARDING REFERENCES TO THE SOVEREIGN

Effective immediately, references to the Sovereign in civil and criminal matters should be to “Rex” or “His Majesty the King” in place of “Regina” or “Her Majesty the Queen.” Please see the Court’s Notice for further information.


September 6, 2022
JUDICIAL RETIREMENT - THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE BARRY DAVIES

The Supreme Court of British Columbia announces that the Honourable Justice Barry Davies retired from the Supreme Court of British Columbia at Vancouver on September 4, 2022. Justice Davies was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1996.


September 6, 2022
JUDICIAL RETIREMENT - THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE WILLIAM GRIST

The Supreme Court of British Columbia announces that the Honourable Justice William Grist retired from the Supreme Court of British Columbia at Chilliwack on September 6, 2022. Justice Grist was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1990.


August 24, 2022
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 55 – RESUMPTION OF CIVIL JURY TRIALS

The final day of the Province’s temporary suspension of civil jury trials is October 7, 2022, after which civil jury trials will resume. For more information, please see COVID-19 Notice No. 55.


August 15, 2022
REVISIONS TO COVID-19 NOTICES NO. 42, 50, AND 52, RESCINDING OF COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 38

As the result of changes taking effect August 15, 2022, the Court has revised several of its COVID-19 Notices and rescinded COVID-19 Notice No. 38 concerning criminal jury trials, which has been replaced by COVID-19 Notice No. 53.

Effective August 15, 2022, the Court has returned to holding the majority of civil and family proceedings (including chambers) in person, unless the Court otherwise orders or directs. Trial Management Conferences are the only type of civil and family proceeding that will continue remotely by default. Please see updated COVID Notice No. 50 for more information.

Parties wishing to apply to change the manner of attendance and obtain an order or directions to appear remotely must follow the procedures set out in updated COVID Notice No. 42.

The Masters Chambers Pilot, which also commences August 15, 2022, provides a means by which counsel can submit electronic chambers application records in PDF format through Court Services Online, only for matters 30 minutes or less in masters chambers at the following registries: Campbell River, Courtenay, Duncan, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Powell River, and Victoria. See COVID-19 Notice No. 54 for more information. The Masters Chambers Pilot does not change the default manner of attendance as set out in COVID Notice No. 50.


CURRENT COVID-19 NOTICES



August 24, 2022
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 55 – RESUMPTION OF CIVIL JURY TRIALS

The final day of the Province’s temporary suspension of civil jury trials is October 7, 2022, after which civil jury trials will resume. For more information, please see COVID-19 Notice No. 55.


| August 15, 2022
REVISIONS TO COVID-19 NOTICES NO. 42, 50, AND 52, RESCINDING OF COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 38

As the result of changes taking effect August 15, 2022, the Court has revised several of its COVID-19 Notices and rescinded COVID-19 Notice No. 38 concerning criminal jury trials, which has been replaced by COVID-19 Notice No. 53.

Effective August 15, 2022, the Court has returned to holding the majority of civil and family proceedings (including chambers) in person, unless the Court otherwise orders or directs. Trial Management Conferences are the only type of civil and family proceeding that will continue remotely by default. Please see updated COVID Notice No. 50 for more information.

Parties wishing to apply to change the manner of attendance and obtain an order or directions to appear remotely must follow the procedures set out in updated COVID Notice No. 42.

The Masters Chambers Pilot, which also commences August 15, 2022, provides a means by which counsel can submit electronic chambers application records in PDF format through Court Services Online, only for matters 30 minutes or less in masters chambers at the following registries: Campbell River, Courtenay, Duncan, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Powell River, and Victoria. See COVID-19 Notice No. 54 for more information. The Masters Chambers Pilot does not change the default manner of attendance as set out in COVID Notice No. 50.


July 15, 2022
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 54 – MASTERS CHAMBERS PILOT STARTING AUGUST 15, 2022

As set out in COVID-19 Notice No. 54, the Masters Chamber Pilot, commencing on August 15, 2022, will provide a means by which counsel can submit electronic chambers application records in PDF format through Court Services Online. Initially the Pilot will be available for matters 30 minutes or less at registries on Vancouver Island (Campbell River, Courtenay, Duncan, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, and Victoria) and Powell River. If the Pilot is successful, it will be expanded to other areas of the province and to longer matters. Detailed instructions about working with PDFs can be found here.


June 22, 2022
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 53 - CRIMINAL JURY TRIALS AFTER AUGUST 15, 2022

Effective August 15, 2022, there will be changes to criminal jury proceedings in accordance with an incremental return to pre-pandemic practice. Please click here for more information.


March 31, 2022
LIFTING OF COURTHOUSE PANDEMIC MEASURES AND CHANGES TO MANNER OF ATTENDANCE

Effective April 11, 2022, the Supreme Court will be lifting many of the measures that were put in place to control the spread of COVID-19 at courthouses, and will be resuming in-person proceedings except in limited circumstances.

For details about the changes that will be effective as of April 11, 2022, please refer to the Index and see the following notices:


January 28, 2022
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 47 – COVID-19: GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MICROSOFT TEAMS VIDEO HEARINGS

COVID Notice No. 35 – Remote Video Conference Hearings has been rescinded and replaced with COVID Notice No. 47. Participants in any kind of video hearing or conference are advised to review COVID Notice No. 47 in advance of their attendance.


January 28, 2022
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 42 – CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS BY MICROSOFT TEAMS VIDEO

COVID-19 Notice No. 42 – Chambers Applications by Microsoft Teams Video has been updated to reflect a new automated method for notifying counsel/parties of their hearing dates. As of January 31, counsel of record should expect to receive two automated emails prior to their chambers hearing: one at 5:30 p.m. the day prior to the hearing as a reminder, and one at 8:45 the morning of their hearing with the Microsoft Teams Video link. Because emails will only go to the email address counsel of record provided on the originating filed document, counsel of record are responsible for forwarding the email with the details of the hearing and link if co-counsel will be attending the hearing.

 

December 1, 2021
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 29 - CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS - COVID PRE-TRIAL CONFERENCES (CV PTC)

COVID-19 Notice No. 29 - Notice Regarding Criminal Proceedings: COVID Pre-trial Conferences (CV PTC) has been rescinded, and CV PTCs will no longer be offered in criminal proceedings. CV PTCs were introduced for cases affected by the temporary suspension of trials early in the pandemic, and have not been scheduled in the past 10 months.



September 17, 2021
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 44 – USE OF THE FILE TRANSFER SERVER – INSOLVENCY AND OTHER PROCEEDINGS

COVID-19 Notice No. 44 has been revised to indicate that the Court may direct parties to use the File Transfer Server (FTS) in any kind of proceeding. Parties in insolvency proceedings only can request use of FTS. In all proceedings, parties using the FTS must adhere to the document formatting standards set out in COVID-19 Notice No. 44.

 

March 2, 2021
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 41 – AMENDMENTS TO THE SUPREME COURT CIVIL RULES - TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF CIVIL JURY TRIALS - UPDATED

Government has amended the Supreme Court Civil Rules to extend the temporary suspension of civil jury trials until October 7, 2022. Civil jury trials will resume on October 8, 2022. Beginning March 29, 2021, parties may file a notice requiring trial by jury for trials scheduled on or after October 8, 2022. For more information, see the Court’s notice about the suspension of civil jury trials, available here, and the order-in-council, available 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.

 

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.

 

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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