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Notice - Online Booking for Long Chambers Hearings for Civil and Family (December 15, 2025, PDF, 227 KB)
Notice - Further Update Regarding Online Booking for Civil and Family Matters (October 4, 2024, PDF, 224 KB)
Expansion of Online Booking System for Civil and Family Trials
The Supreme Court is expanding the type of matters that can be booked using the Court Online Booking System (COBS). Beginning January 1, 2026, COBS can be used to book long chambers hearings. COBS has been and will continue to be available for booking Case Planning Conferences (CPCs), Judicial Case Conferences (JCCs), Trial Management Conferences (TMCs), and Trials. The expansion of COBS provides litigants with more flexibility about when matters are booked and ensures that limited court time is allocated fairly.
Booking Conferences Online
Currently, while COBS is available for CPCs, JCCs, and TMCs, parties can continue to book conferences online, by phone, or in person at the registry. COBS adds convenience for litigants and counsel to book online, while keeping traditional methods available for those who wish to use them.
Booking Trials Online
COBS is available for booking trials in civil and family matters. In most regions where the Court can generally meet demand, litigants and counsel are able to book trial dates using any of the available methods: online, by phone, or in person.
However, in Vancouver, New Westminster and Victoria where demand for trial dates exceeds availability litigants and counsel are strongly encouraged to book trial dates using COBS.
- Step 1: Submit Preferences: During the booking window, which is the first seven days of each month, submit a ranked list of the top 5 preferred dates for your civil or family trial.
- Step 2: Allocation of Trial Dates: Once the booking window closes, COBS will use a fairness algorithm to allocate newly released trial dates, ensuring that everyone who submitted a request during the booking window has an equitable opportunity to secure a trial date.
Booking Long Chambers Hearings Online
As of January 1, 2026, long chambers hearings in civil and family matters will be booked through COBS in all court locations.
There will be two booking processes - a 'booking window' process for allocating newly released hearing dates, and an 'on-demand' booking system. Some court locations will use both processes, while others will use only the 'on-demand' booking system.
In the court locations listed below, parties and counsel will book long chambers hearings by logging into COBS, viewing the Court's available long chambers hearing dates, and selecting from those dates:
| Interior: | Revelstoke, Salmon Arm |
| Northern: | Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Quesnel, Smithers, Terrace, Williams Lake |
| Vancouver Island & Powell River: | Campbell River, Courtenay, Duncan, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Powell River |
In the court locations listed below, there will be a 'booking window' process for allocating newly released long chambers hearing dates, and an 'on-demand' booking system for previously released hearing dates that remain available:
| Lower Mainland: | Vancouver, New Westminster, Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Port Coquitlam |
| Interior: | Kamloops, Kelowna, Cranbrook, Nelson, Penticton, Rossland and Vernon |
| Vancouver Island: | Victoria |
For newly released dates, parties and counsel will submit their preferred dates during the booking window (1st to the 7th of each month). After the booking window closes, court time will be allocated so that all users have an equitable opportunity to secure dates. Unsuccessful booking requests will be tracked, and priority assigned to the user's next request.
Previously released dates that remain or become available after the booking window may be booked by logging into COBS and selecting from the Court's available dates.
Accessing COBS
To access COBS, log in using your BCeID credentials.
If you do not have a BCeID, please register for one here:
If you are a lawyer in good standing with the Law Society of British Columbia, you can also access COBS using your digital credentials from the BC Wallet app:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/government-id/bc-wallet
Why This Matters
COBS is designed to be more fair and more efficient, reducing the stress and uncertainty that often accompanied the old phone-in booking method. By moving the process online, it will be easier for litigants or counsel to secure a trial or long chambers hearing date while also ensuring that no one is unfairly disadvantaged by a busy phone line.
COBS does not increase the supply of available court dates. The purpose of COBS is to improve the efficiency of the process for submitting requests for trial and long chambers hearing dates. By using COBS, litigants and counsel will not have to call Scheduling to book trial and long chambers hearing dates and will not have to wait in a phone queue on booking day each month.
Open Source Transparency
To ensure complete transparency, the code behind COBS is open source, meaning it is publicly accessible and can be reviewed by anyone. The code is hosted on GitHub and we invite users and developers alike to explore how COBS works, or simply gain a better understanding of the algorithm that powers COBS.
Next Steps
We encourage you to familiarize yourself with COBS and prepare for this transition. More information, including how to register for a BCeID (https://www.bceid.ca/register/) or download the BC Wallet app, can be found here:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/government-id/bc-wallet
Stay tuned for further updates as we finalize the transition date and move forward with this new and improved system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I encounter technical issues while using the online booking system?
If you experience any technical difficulties while using COBS, please contact our technical support team at webmaster@bccourts.ca.
Can I still book a trial outside of the booking window?
Yes, you can continue to book currently available trial dates either online, by phone, or in person at the registry. The 'booking window' process is specifically for booking newly released trial dates in Vancouver, New Westminster and Victoria which are released 18 months in advance.
Can I still book a long chambers hearing outside of the booking window?
Yes, you can continue to book currently available long chambers hearing dates either online, by phone, or in person at the registry. The 'booking window' process is specifically for booking newly released long chambers hearing dates in Vancouver, New Westminster, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Port Coquitlam, Victoria, Kamloops, Kelowna, Cranbrook, Nelson, Penticton, Rossland and Vernon.
Will I receive email confirmations for my booking requests?
Yes, after you submit your trial or long chambers hearing date request, you will receive an email confirming that your request has been received. Once the booking window closes, you will receive a second email letting you know whether one of your requested dates has been booked or if none of your selected dates were available.
Are there additional steps after I book online?
Yes, if you are successful in obtaining trial or long chambers hearing dates, you are required to comply with the court's procedural rules to keep the booking. This includes filing the necessary documents in accordance with the Supreme Court Rules, which can be found here. If you do not file the necessary documents, you may lose your trial / long chambers hearing dates.
What happens if I am not assigned any of my preferred dates?
If you are not assigned any of your selected dates, you may submit a new booking request during the next month's booking window. If a party or counsel is not successful in obtaining a date in a given month, COBS will track that matter and automatically assign higher priority in subsequent months.
What if my case settles before the trial date?
If you no longer need the trial or long chambers hearing dates you booked, please contact the Scheduling Department for the relevant court location to tell them the dates are no longer needed. Contact information for all of the Supreme Court’s locations are available here. Once you tell the Scheduling Department that you no longer need the dates you have booked, those dates are released and are offered to litigants and counsel who are trying to book a date. Knowing in advance that trial and long chambers hearing dates are not required helps the Court ensure that the limited amount of available court time is efficiently and effectively used.
Will COBS increase the number of available trial and long chambers hearing dates?
No, COBS is designed to make the booking process easier and fairer. COBS does not change the total number of trial or long chambers hearing dates available. In some locations, we expect that the demand for trial and long chambers hearing dates will continue to exceed the available supply and that bumping of trials and long chambers hearing dates will continue to occur.
Is the booked time available for me to use as I see fit?
No. The presiding judge at the trial or long chambers hearing has the authority to determine how a matter will proceed, including the discretion to set a schedule and time limits for e.g., opening statements, witness testimony and submissions. The judge also has the authority to adjourn a trial or long chambers hearing and direct parties to find additional dates, should they be unable to efficiently and continuously use the court time that has been scheduled.
Counsel and parties are expected to organize their witnesses and submissions so that the trial can proceed continuously, without gaps. If the trial finishes before the end of the scheduled period, valuable court time can be allocated to another matter.