| IMPORTANT NOTICE
This notice has been superseded by Chief Justice Morawetz’s May 13, 2020 Notice to the Profession at: https://www.ontariocourts.ca/scj/notices-and-orders-covid-19/consolidated-notice/. Please see the May 13 notice for current information. |
May 5, 2020
To protect the health and safety of all court users and to help contain the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (SCJ) suspended in-person hearings, effective Tuesday, March 17, 2020, and until further notice. Only certain matters would be heard virtually, by way of telephone or videoconference hearing.
Effective April 6, 2020, the SCJ expanded the scope of its virtual operations. Regional Notices to the Profession were issued identifying which matters would be heard in each region in-writing, or by telephone or video conference hearings.
On April 20, 2020, the SCJ issued a further Notice to the Profession advising that the Court will not recommence criminal or civil jury selection or jury trials until September 2020, at the earliest.
Given the on-going public health situation due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty as to when it will be safe to return to courthouses, the SCJ will not resume in-person hearings of other matters until July 6, 2020, at the earliest. It will, however, continue to hear matters virtually, and expects to shortly further expand the scope of matters that will be heard virtually.
The Executive of the Court has been working closely with the Ministry of the Attorney General, the profession and other justice partners to expand the scope of matters that can be heard virtually. The Superior Court of Justice continues to work to deliver access to justice during these difficult times.
Geoffrey B. Morawetz,
Chief Justice.