OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2023

December 21, 2023
WELCOMING CEREMONY - THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE JANET WINTERINGHAM

The Honourable Chief Justice Marchand is pleased to advise that there will be a formal ceremony to welcome the Honourable Justice Janet Winteringham to the Court of Appeal for British Columbia and the Court of Appeal of Yukon.

The welcoming ceremony will be held on Friday, January 26, 2024, at 4:15 p.m. in Courtroom 60 of the Vancouver Law Courts.

December 20, 2023
REVISED PRACTICE DIRECTIVE: PUBLICATION BANS, SEALING ORDERS AND ANONYMIZATION ORDERS

Effective immediately, the Court of Appeal has issued a revised Civil and Criminal Practice Directive on Publication Bans, Sealing Orders and Anonymization Orders. The revised directive clarifies when and how parties or counsel must provide information about publication bans, sealing orders or anonymization orders issued by the Court or Tribunal appealed from. It also clarifies when parties or counsel need to apply for these types of orders in appeal proceedings. The revised Practice Directive replaces the Civil Practice Directive titled Publication Bans and Sealing Orders, dated 18 July 2022 and the Criminal Practice Note titled Publication Bans, dated 24 July 2012.

Criminal Forms 1, 1A, 2 and 3 have been revised to include a field for identifying publication bans, sealing orders, or anonymization orders (if any) when the notice of appeal or notice of leave to appeal is filed. The updated Forms must be used for all newly filed notices of appeal or applications for leave to appeal in criminal proceedings.

Checklists and templates for Application Books, Appeal Books, Factums, Statements, and Written Arguments have also been revised to reflect changes in the practice directive, and to require spacing between paragraphs and footnotes in Arial 12. The updated checklists and templates are available on the Court’s website and must be used for all new filings.

December 8, 2023
APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF JUSTICE

The British Columbia Court of Appeal welcomes the appointment of the Honourable Justice Leonard Marchand as Chief Justice of British Columbia and Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of Yukon. The appointment is effective immediately. For further information, please see the announcement from the Prime Minister.

December 4, 2023
JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT

The British Columbia Court of Appeal welcomes the appointment of the Honourable Justice Janet Winteringham, a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, to the Court of Appeal for British Columbia and the Court of Appeal of Yukon. The appointment is effective immediately. For further information, please see the announcement from the Department of Justice.

November 28, 2023
COURT OF APPEAL RULES AMENDMENTS

Effective November 27, 2023, a number of Court of Appeal Rules and associated Forms have been amended pursuant to Order-in-Council 631/2023. The new Forms are available here.