Supreme Court of British Columbia

‍Supreme Court Covid-19 Announcement Page

• March 9, 2022 - COVID-19 NOTICE No. 45 - RESUMPTION IN-PERSON TRIALS AND OTHER PROCEEDINGS. Civil and family matters proceeding as scheduled the week of March 14 - 18 or the week of March 21-25. for more information, click here.
• February 16, 2022 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 45 – RESUMPTION IN-PERSON TRIALS AND OTHER PROCEEDINGS FEBRUARY 22-25, 2022. In-person civil and family proceedings scheduled to begin or continue during the week of February 22-25, 2022 are proceeding as scheduled. For more information, click here.‍
• COVID-19: ADJOURNMENT OF TRIALS AND OTHER IN-PERSON PROCEEDINGS. The Supreme Court is reducing the number of in-person proceedings scheduled to begin or continue during the week of January 4, 2022. For more information, click here.
• COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 29 - CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS - COVID PRE-TRIAL CONFERENCES (CV PTC). COVID pre-trial conferences will no longer be offered in criminal proceedings. For more information, click here.
• October 20, 2021 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 42 - CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS BY TELEPHONE AND MICROSOFT TEAMS - UPDATED FOR LONG CHAMBERS AND JUDGES CHAMBERS. Revised to include additional registries where long chambers applications will be heard by video using Microsoft Teams. For more information, click here.
• October 15, 2021 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 27 - Revised October 13, 2021 to reflect the latest requirements on travel into Canada and indoor mask requirements. For more information, click here.
• October 12, 2021 - Announcement - Judiciary and Staff COVID19 Vaccination. All judicial and court staff, as well as service providers accessing the secure (non-public) areas of all courthouses will be required to have received the full series of accepted COVID-19 vaccines commencing November 22, 2021.
• September 17, 2021 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 44 - Notice to the Public and Profession regarding Use of the File Transfer Server –Insolvency and Other Proceedings. Revised September 17, 2021, COVID-19 Notice No. 44, the File Transfer System is available for use in insolvency matters.
• September 15, 2021 - Administrative Notice No. 6 - Video Conferencing (Revised). This Administrative Notice provides information on the process for booking a video conference at any of the Supreme Court registries in BC.
• June 9, 2021 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 42 - CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS BY TELEPHONE AND MICROSOFT TEAMS - LONG CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS BY VIDEO. Effective June 14, 2021, COVID-19 Notice No. 42 has been revised to add Victoria to the registries where long chambers matters are heard by video using Microsoft Teams.
• June 7, 2021 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 44 - NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC AND PROFESSION REGARDING USE OF THE FILE TRANSFER SERVER IN INSOLVENCY PROCEEDINGS. Effective immediately, parties in insolvency proceedings may request to use the File Transfer Server (FTS) to transmit documents electronically to the Court for remote hearings. For information, click here.
• June 1, 2021 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 35 – EXPANSION OF COURT OPERATIONS – REMOTE VIDEO CONFERENCE HEARINGS. COVID-19 Notice No. 35  has been updated to clarify that counsel / the parties must ensure that any witnesses authorized by the Court to testify in a remote video conference hearing can meet the minimum technical standards required for participation.
• May 31, 2021 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 42 – CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS BY TELEPHONE AND MICROSOFT TEAMS - REQUIREMENT TO USE CAMERAS. Effective May 31, 2021, COVID-19 Notice No. 42 has been revised to require parties/counsel to use their cameras during hearings by video using Microsoft Teams.
• April 12, 2021 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 42 – CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS BY TELEPHONE AND MICROSOFT TEAMS - LONG CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS BY VIDEO AND CHANGES REGARDING APPLICATION RECORDS. Effective April 19, 2021, COVID-19 Notice No. 42 has been revised to expand the number of registries where Masters chambers are heard by video using Microsoft Teams and to add long chambers matters in Vancouver and New Westminster to the list of matters that will be heard by video using Microsoft Teams. Other locations will be added as they become available.
• April 12, 2021 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 32 – REGISTRAR HEARINGS - RETRIEVAL OF HEARING RECORDS. Effective immediately, COVID-19 Notice No. 32 has been revised to require that applicants in remote hearings retrieve their hearing records within five days after hearings, unless they are unable to do so or the hearing has been adjourned and reset for within five days.
• March 18, 2021 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 42 - CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS BY TELEPHONE AND MICROSOFT TEAMS REGULAR CHAMBERS IN PRINCE GEORGE NOW ONE HOUR OR LESS. Effective March 22 2021, (COVID-19 Notice No. 42) at the Prince George registry, hearings of matters in chambers estimated to take one hour or less will be heard in regular chambers. Hearings of matters estimated to take longer than one hour must be scheduled on the trial list.
• 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.
• March 2, 2021 - REVISIONS TO COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 35 - EXPANSION OF COURT OPERATIONS - REMOTE VIDEO CONFERENCE HEARINGS. Effective March 2, 2021, COVID-19 Notice No. 35 has been revised to update information regarding media and public access to RVC hearings.
• February 25, 2021 - DIVORCE ACT AMENDMENTS AND REVISED SUPREME COURT FAMILY FORMS. The new amendments to the Divorce Act take effect on March 1, 2021. Some changes to the Supreme Court Family Rules and Forms will also come into effect on March 1, 2021 to reflect the amendments to the Divorce Act. More information about the new forms will be available on the Ministry of Attorney General’s website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/courthouse-services/documents-forms-records/court-forms/sup-family-forms. Effective March 1, 2021, the Registry staff will only accept the new Supreme Court Family Forms.
• February 3, 2021 - NOTICE TO THE PROFESSION RE GRACE PERIOD FOR ACCEPTANCE OF FORMER SUPREME COURT FAMILY FORMS. Chief Justice Hinkson has issued a Notice to the Profession, the Public and the Media which implements a grace period during which the Registry will accept former Supreme Court Family Forms or new Supreme Court Family Forms that were amended by Order in Council 26/2021 up to and including February 26, 2021. Effective March 1, 2021, Registry staff will no longer accept the former Forms and will only accept Supreme Court Family Forms as amended by Order in Council 467/2020 and Order in Council 26/2021.
• January 25, 2021 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 42 - CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS BY TELEPHONE AND MICROSOFT TEAMS. The Supreme Court is reissuing COVID-19 Notice No. 42 (Chambers Applications by Telephone and Microsoft Teams) to expand video hearings using Microsoft Teams to Masters chambers in New Westminster, Kamloops, Kelowna, Victoria, and Nanaimo as of February 1. More information is available here.
  

• January 21, 2021 - PROTOCOL FOR COMMUNICATION AND TESTING RELATED TO COVID-19 IN COURTHOUSES. In light of concerns raised by the BC Courts, counsel and other courthouse users about the need for timely and coordinated communication about COVID-19 testing and exposures in courthouses, the three levels of Court and Court Services Branch met with senior health officials and have created a protocol that is now in effect. See the Protocol here.

• January 11, 2021 - ABBOTSFORD LAW COURTS - CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS OF TWO HOURS OR LESS. The new Supreme Court location in Abbotsford will open on January 18, 2021. The Court will begin hearing chambers applications of two hours or less in Abbotsford the week of February 16, 2021. Please see the attached notice for more information.
• December 22, 2020 - END OF SUSPENSION OF LIMITATION PERIODS. On December 21, 2020 the Provincial Government announced that the suspension of limitation periods is no longer linked to the duration of the state of emergency, and the suspension will end on March 25, 2021. For more information, see the Court’s amended COVID-19 Notice No. 34, here, and Order in Council 655/2020, here.
• December 1, 2020 - ABBOTSFORD LAW COURTS - BOOKING CONFERENCES AND LENGTHY CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS. The Supreme Court will begin sitting at the Abbotsford Law Courts on February 1, 2021. Please see the attached notice for information about booking lengthy chambers applications, judicial case conferences, trial management conferences and case planning conferences in Abbotsford.
• 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.

• 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 - FACE MASKS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA COURTHOUSES. Chief Justice Bauman, Chief Justice Hinkson and Chief Judge Gillespie have jointly issued the following statement on behalf of all courts in British Columbia:

‍Effective Monday, November 9, 2020, people attending courthouses in British Columbia are strongly encouraged to wear face masks, including in entrances, waiting areas, registries, hallways, stairways, restrooms and elevators. If you do not have a face mask, Sheriffs will provide one when you enter the courthouse. While wearing a face mask can reduce the spread of infection, it does not substitute for physical distancing, which must be maintained whenever possible. Children under two years of age, persons with a medical condition or disability that inhibits wearing a face mask and persons who are unable to place or remove a face mask without assistance are exempt. In addition, while inside individual courtrooms the presiding judge, justice, master or registrar in a courtroom may modify this recommendation. All people attending courthouses in British Columbia are asked to be familiar with all health and safety protocols and to cooperate in observing them in order to protect everyone in courthouses in this province.

• 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.
• October 8, 2020 - REVISIONS TO COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 27 - IN COURT MEASURES DURING THE PANDEMIC. Further revisions have been made to COVID-19 Notice No. 27  to update the list of COVID-19 symptoms as set out by the BC Centre for Disease Control, and to address situations arising during or after attending court.
• 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.
• ‍September 1, 2020 - REVISIONS TO COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 27 - IN-COURT MEASURES DURING THE PANDEMIC. COVID-19 Notice No. 27 has been revised to state that counsel must also be in a position to confirm that to their knowledge, no one involved on their side traveled outside Canada within 14 days of their anticipated in person appearance in a courtroom.
• 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.
• 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. 39 – CIVIL JURY SELECTIONS AND TRIALS. Effective July 17, 2020, Chief Justice Hinkson has extended the cancellation of civil jury selections and civil jury trials up to and including January 1, 2021.
• 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
• July 13, 2020 - REVISED COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 28: RESUMPTION OF FURTHER COURT OPERATIONS –CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS
• July 13, 2020 - REVISED COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 14: EXPANSION OF CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS ̶ APPLICATIONS BY WRITTEN SUBMISSION
• 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.
• 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.
• July 10, 2020 - REVISED COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 34 - EXPANSION OF COURT OPERATIONS - IN-PERSON REGISTRY SERVICES. On July 7th the Supreme Court announced that, effective July 13, 2010, all Supreme Court registries will be open for in-person services. The Court also announced that the request for urgent hearing process will be discontinued, and the processes for making an application by written submissions and for making a chambers application by telephone will be modified. This revised Notice states that the telephone conference hearing process, which was established for civil and family matters that had been scheduled to be heard between March 19 and May 29, were not urgent or essential, and met certain other criteria, will be discontinued as of July 13, 2020. The Court will continue to hear other matters by telephone, including judicial case conferences, chambers applications, trial management conferences, case planning conferences, and Registrar’s hearings.
• July 8, 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
• July 8, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 34 - EXPANSION OF COURT OPERATIONS - IN-PERSON REGISTRY SERVICES. Effective July 13, 2020, all Supreme Court registries will be open for in-person services. At that time, the request for hearing process for urgent and essential civil, family and insolvency matters will be discontinued, and regular processes will resume except as set out in the Court’s COVID-19 notices. Also effective July 13, 2020, the processes for making an application by written submissions and for making a chambers application by telephone will be modified.
• July 8, 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 Notice describes some changes to the procedure.
• 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
• June 5, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 28 – RESUMPTION OF FURTHER COURT OPERATIONS – CHAMBERS APPLICATIONS. Effective June 8, 2020, the Court will resume hearing chambers applications of two hours or less. Hearings will proceed by telephone unless the Court otherwise orders, and in accordance with Notice #28 - Resumption of Further Court Operations - Chambers Applications, found here. The Chief Justice has modified certain requirements related to application records and service of application record indexes. To see the Order of the Chief Justice, 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.
• June 3, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 26 – RESUMPTION OF TRIAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES – CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS. The Court has revised and replaced COVID-19 Notice No. 23 to clarify that for civil matters where a jury notice has been filed and served, and the parties do not consent to proceed by judge alone, parties seeking to strike a jury notice may make an Application by Written Submissions. For more information, 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.
• May 21, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 23 – RESUMPTION OF TRIAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES – CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS. The Court has revised and replaced COVID-19 Notice No. 20 to clarify that for civil matters where a jury notice has been filed and served, parties may apply for orders as to how the trial will proceed at a Trial Management Conference or Judicial Management Conference. For more information, click here.
• May 21, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 22 – RESUMPTION OF SOME COURT OPERATIONS – CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS. The Court has revised and replaced COVID-19 Notice No. 19 to clarify that for civil matters where a jury notice has been filed and served, parties may apply for orders as to how the trial will proceed at a Trial Management Conference or Judicial Management Conference. For more information, click here.
• May 19, 2020 - BOOKING JUDICIAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES (JMCs) ONLINE. As provided in COVID-19 Notice No. 20 – Resumption of Trial Management Conferences and Trials - Civil and Family Matters,  JMCs can now be booked online here.
• May 15, 2020 - BOOKING TRIAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES (TMCS) ONLINE. As provided in COVID-19 Notice No. 20 – Resumption of Trial Management Conferences and Trials - Civil and Family Matters, TMCs can now be booked online here.
• May 14, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 21 – RESUMPTION OF SOME REGULAR COURT OPERATIONS – CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS. Associate Chief Justice Holmes has issued COVID-19 Notice No. 21: Notice Regarding Criminal Proceedings - Resumption of Some Regular Court Operations, which can be viewed by clicking here. The Court is now working toward the resumption of regular court operations. Notice No. 21 gives directions about criminal proceedings scheduled for June 1, 2020 and following. Unless the Court otherwise directs, all criminal trials, voir dires and pre-trial applications, and extradition hearings, scheduled to be heard between June 1 and June 5, 2020, are adjourned to a fix-date appearance as set out in Appendix A. At this point, the Court expects to proceed with criminal trials, voir dires and pre-trial applications, and extradition hearings scheduled to begin on or after June 8, 2020.  However, the situation will continue to be assessed, taking into account the many factors affecting the Court’s capacity to hear these types of matters during the pandemic. Further directions about court operations will be forthcoming, and members of the profession, the public and the media should continue to monitor the Court’s website regularly for updates.
• May 13, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 20 – RESUMPTION OF TRIAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES AND TRIALS – CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS. The Court is now preparing to resume trial management conferences and civil and family trials. Trial management conferences scheduled on or after June 1, 2020 and trials scheduled on or after June 8, 2020 will resume, unless the Court otherwise directs. Trial management conferences and trials that were adjourned due to the court’s suspension of regular operations may be rebooked using the processes set out in this Notice. Timeframes for filing and serving trial briefs (civil matters), trial records, and trial certificates have been amended for TMCs and trials scheduled to begin on or before July 24, 2020. Judicial Management Conferences may be booked online starting May 19, 2020. For more information, click here.
• May 13, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 19 – RESUMPTION OF SOME COURT OPERATIONS – CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS. The Court is resuming some operations. This notice sets out what matters will be phased in over the coming weeks and what matters continue to be adjourned. Trials scheduled on or before June 5, 2020 are adjourned, unless the Court otherwise directs. All civil and family trials scheduled to begin on or after June 8, 2020 will resume, unless the Court otherwise directs. However, jury selections and trials continue to be suspended up to and including September 7, 2020. As of June 1, 2020, judicial case conferences, trial management conferences and chambers matters already scheduled for hearing on the trial list will resume by telephone. The balance of scheduled matters remained adjourned until further notice. This Notice also provides direction regarding timelines under the Supreme Court Civil Rules and the Supreme Court Family Rules that had been suspended. For more information, click here.
• May 7, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 18 - SUSPENSION OF ALL REGULAR COURT OPERATIONS - CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS (REVISED MAY 11, 2020). Effective March 19, 2020 and until further notice, the Honourable Chief Justice Hinkson suspended regular operations of the Supreme Court of British Columbia at all of its locations to protect the health and safety of court users and to help contain the spread of COVID-19. This updated Notice includes some changes to the Court's operations in respect of criminal proceedings including that summary conviction and traffic ticket appeals will be scheduled by telephone where possible and appropriate, and that jury selections are cancelled up to and including September 7, 2020.  For more details click here.  
• May 7, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 17 - 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. The Supreme 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.
• May 6, 2020 - BOOKING APPLICATIONS BY WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS. As provided in COVID-19 Notice No. 14 – Application by Written Submissions, booking for applications by written submissions can only be done online.  The online booking form is now available here.
• May 4, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 16 - SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA NOTICE - COVID PRE-TRIAL CONFERENCES (CV PTC). Effective Monday, May 4, 2020, and during the remainder of the suspension of the Court’s normal operations, pre-trial conferences will be held by telephone for criminal cases where the trial was unable to proceed because of the suspension, or is at risk of being adjourned because of indirect effects of the suspension.  These “CV PTCs” have the specific purpose of advancing or resolving adjourned and at-risk cases as much as possible and appropriate.  To view the Notice, click here. To view the CV PTC Counsel form, click here.
• May 4, 2020 - SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA NOTICE - SUSPENSION OF ALL REGULAR COURT OPERATIONS - INSOLVENCY MATTERS. The Supreme Court of British Columbia has modified its Request for Urgent Hearing – Insolvency process to remove the requirement to submit draft materials. For the revised Notice, click here.
• April 27, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 14 - SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA NOTICE - EXPANSION OF CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS - APPLICATIONS BY WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS. To facilitate the just, speedy and inexpensive determination of proceedings during the suspension of the Court’s regular operations, pursuant to Ministerial Order No. M121 the Chief Justice has expanded the scope of applications that can proceed by way of written submissions. To see the order of the Chief Justice, click here. For more details about bringing an application by written submissions, click here. Booking for applications by written submissions will only be available online. The Court will announce when online booking is available, expected by May 8, 2020.
• April 24, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 13 - SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA NOTICE - EXPANSION OF CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS – TELEPHONE CONFERENCE HEARINGS (REVISED). Effective April 20, 2020, in an effort to expand the civil and family matters that can be dealt with at this time, the Court has established procedures to allow parties to schedule a COVID-19 Telephone Conference Hearing (TCH) for matters that are not urgent or essential (as specified in the Court’s April 16, 2020 Notice and that were scheduled for hearing during the Suspension Period. At each TCH, parties will be limited to addressing one disputed issue or to bringing forward issues on which they have consent. This updated Notice (revised April 24, 2020) includes information about scheduling a TCH when a judge or master is seized of or assigned to a matter, and clarifies that an affidavit filed for a TCH must not exceed 10 pages, inclusive of exhibits. For more details click here.
  
• April 24, 2020 - COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 12 - E-FILING AND DESK ORDER APPLICATIONS (FAMILY AND CIVIL). The Supreme Court of British Columbia encourages the use of e-filing for certain family and civil desk order applications. For more information click here. ‍
• April 21, 2020 - SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA NOTICE - COVID-19: 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.
• April 21, 2020 - SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA NOTICE - COVID-19: E-FILING AND FAMILY AND CIVIL 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 certain family and civil desk order applications. For more information click here.
• ‍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 - SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA NOTICE - EXPANSION OF CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS - TELEPHONE CONFERENCE HEARINGS. Effective April 20, 2020, in an effort to expand the civil and family matters that can be dealt with at this time, the Court has established procedures to allow parties to schedule a COVID-19 Telephone Conference Hearing (TCH) for matters that are not urgent or essential (as specified in the Court’s April 16, 2020 Notice) and that were scheduled for hearing during the Suspension Period. At each TCH, parties will be limited to addressing one disputed issue or to bringing forward issues on which they have consent. For more details click here.
• ‍AMENDMENT TO THREE COURTS' POLICY ON USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN COURTROOMS - April 17, 2020
• COVID-19 - Notice to the Profession, the Public and the Media Regarding Criminal Proceedings - 16 April 2020
• SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA NOTICE - SUSPENSION OF ALL REGULAR COURT OPERATIONS - CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS (Revised April 16, 2020)
• SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA NOTICE - SUSPENSION OF ALL REGULAR COURT OPERATIONS - CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS (Revised April 16, 2020)
• MESSAGE FROM THE SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA - April 6, 2020 
• SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA NOTICE - SUSPENSION OF ALL REGULAR COURT OPERATIONS - INSOLVENCY MATTERS - April 2, 2020‍
• NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC REGARDING AFFIDAVITS FOR USE IN COURT PROCEEDINGS - 27 March 2020

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