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 Please refer to the Index for a list of the current notices as well as those that have been rescinded and replaced.

• Announcements
• Index of COVID-19 Notices
• Current COVID-19 Notices
  
• COVID-19 Orders
• COVID-19 Announcements

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

November 25, 2020
UPDATE: FACE MASKS OR FACE COVERINGS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA COURTHOUSES

Effective immediately, people attending courthouses in British Columbia are required to wear a face mask or face covering, including in entrances, lobbies, waiting areas, registries, hallways, stairways, restrooms and elevators. In addition, people are required to wear a face mask or face covering in courtrooms unless the presiding judge, justice, master or registrar directs otherwise.

Face masks or face coverings must be worn in a manner that cover a person’s nose and mouth. If you do not have a face mask or face covering, Sheriffs will provide one when you enter the courthouse. While wearing a face mask or face covering can reduce the spread of infection, it does not substitute for physical distancing, which must be maintained whenever possible. The requirement to wear a face mask or face covering does not apply:

• to a child who is less than twelve years of age,
• to a person who is unable to wear a face mask or face covering because of (i) a psychological, behavioural or health condition, or (ii) a physical, cognitive or mental impairment,
• to a person who is unable to put on or remove a face mask or face covering without the assistance of another person,
• if the face mask or face covering is removed temporarily for the purpose of identifying the person wearing it.

In addition, all people attending courthouses in British Columbia are asked to be familiar with all health and safety protocols and to cooperate in following them in order to protect everyone in courthouses in this province.

Click on the links below for more information regarding procedures when attending proceedings in each court:

Court of Appeal for British Columbia

Supreme Court of British Columbia

Provincial Court of British Columbia

November 19, 2020
JUDICIAL LAW CLERK PROGRAM RECRUITMENT FOR THE 2022 - 2023 TERM

Applications will be accepted to the Judicial Law Clerk Program for the 2022-2023 term starting January 4, 2021. The deadline for applications is Friday, January 18, 2021 at 3:00 pm, with video conference interviews to be scheduled in early February and March, 2021.

Learn more about the Judicial Law Clerk Program including the required qualifications and application process here.

 

November 12, 2020
ABBOTSFORD LAW COURTS - CRIMINAL FIX DATES AND TRIALS

The Supreme Court will begin sitting at the Abbotsford Law Courts on February 1, 2021. Please see the attached notice for information regarding criminal fix-dates and trials for criminal cases originating in Abbotsford Provincial Court, which will ultimately proceed in the Abbotsford Law Courts. Please also see the previous notice issued September 24, 2020 here.

 

November 6, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 27 – IN COURT MEASURES DURING THE PANDEMIC - UPDATED

Chief Justice Hinkson has revised Part IV of COVID-19 Notice No. 27 with respect to the use of masks inside courthouses.

 

October 28, 2020
RESCISSION OF PRACTICE DIRECTION 54

Chief Justice Hinkson has rescinded Practice Direction 54 - Standard Directions for Appeals from Decisions of Masters, Registrars or Special Referees. For more information, please see the attached notice.

 

October 23, 2020
U.S.A. v. MENG EXTRADITION PROCEEDINGS - ARRANGEMENTS OF PUBLIC AND MEDIA ACCESS

The proceedings in the USA v. Meng, VA 27761 will resume on Monday, October 26, 2020 at the Vancouver Law Courts. As a result of COVID-19 and requirements to adhere to public health guidelines regarding physical distancing and to safeguard public health and safety, the following arrangements have been made with respect to the access of the general public and the media to the proceedings:

• The proceedings will take place in Courtroom 55 and will begin at 10 a.m.
  
  
• In Courtroom 55, 5 seats will be set aside for members of the general public and 5 seats will be set aside for accredited media. These seats will be available on a first come first served basis.
  
  
• An overflow space will be also available where the proceedings from Courtroom 55 will be viewable on closed circuit television. In the overflow space, 14 seats will be set aside for members of the general public and 13 seats will set aside for accredited media. These seats will be available on a first come first served basis.
  
  
• Members of the public or accredited media who would like to observe the proceedings either from Courtroom 55 or the overflow space must enter the courthouse at the Nelson Street entrance. There will be a line-up for those coming to the courthouse to attend or observe the Meng proceedings and a separate line-up for those attending the courthouse for other proceedings.
  
  
• The courthouse will open at 8:30 a.m. The Sheriffs will conduct a verbal COVID-19 screening process for everyone entering the courthouse. They will direct members of the public and the media wishing to Courtroom 55 or to the overflow room once the capacity of Courtroom 55 is reached.
  
  
• Members of the public and the media are asked to review the Court’s directions regarding In Court Measures During the Pandemic and the information provided by the Ministry of Attorney General with respect to general expectations for those attending a courthouse during the pandemic.
  
  
• The Court's Policy on Use of Electronic Devices in Courtrooms applies to Courtroom 55 and to the overflow space. The Policy prohibits the taking photographs (including screen shots), video images, or audio recordings of any court proceedings.  Please refer to the policy for details on permitted audio recording for accredited media. Penalties may include prosecution for contempt of court.

Any questions may be directed to the Superior Courts Judiciary Communications Officer at SCJCommunicationsOfficer@BCCourts.ca.

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.


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CURRENT COVID-19 NOTICES

 

October 14, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 42 - CHAMBERS APPLICATION BY TELEPHONE AND MICROSOFT TEAMS

Effective October 14, 2020, the Supreme Court will begin a gradual roll-out to hear chambers applications using Microsoft Teams (“Teams”). Applications in Masters chambers of 2 hours or less scheduled for hearing in Vancouver will be heard by Teams starting on October 26, 2020. For every Teams hearing, a dial-in conferencing number will also be provided so that parties can participate by phone if they are unable to do so by video or if their video connection fails during the hearing.

Until further notice, all applications other than Masters chambers of 2 hours or less in Vancouver will proceed by telephone. Hearing of lengthy chambers applications and applications in Judges chambers and in locations other than Vancouver by Teams will be announced at a later date. Parties are encouraged to check the Court’s website regularly for more information.

For more information, click here.

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 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.

 

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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(Announcements Archive)