OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021

December 31, 2021
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 45 - ADJOURNMENT OF IN-PERSON TRIALS AND OTHER PROCEEDINGS JANUARY 4-7, 2022

Given the rapid and concerning recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the province, the Supreme Court is reducing the number of in-person proceedings scheduled to begin or continue during the week of January 4, 2022. Please see COVID-19 Notice No. 45 for more details.

December 16, 2021
UPDATE: ADDRESSING JUDGES

Further to Supreme Court Practice Direction 60 - Form of Address which directs counsel, litigants, witnesses and others to avoid using the terms “My Lord”, “My Lady”, “Your Lordship” and “Your Ladyship”, the Court website has been updated to indicate each justice’s form of address: “Justice”, “Madam Justice” or “Mr. Justice”. Chief Justice Hinkson and Associate Chief Justice Holmes should continue to be referred to as such.

The form of address for each justice can be found on the daily court hearing lists and the list of members of the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

December 13, 2021
JUDICIAL RETIREMENT - THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ROBERT JOHNSTON

The Supreme Court of British Columbia announces that the Honourable Mr. Justice Johnston retired from the Supreme Court of British Columbia at Victoria on December 12, 2021. Mr. Justice Johnston was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2004.

December 10, 2021
PD-17 REAL-TIME REPORTING - UPDATED

PD-17 (Real-time Reporting) which was first issued on July 1, 2010 has been updated to align with the Official Reporters (Supreme Court) Regulation made under the Court Rules Act.

December 8, 2021
SUPREME COURT MASTER

The Supreme Court of British Columbia has an opening in Vancouver/New Westminster for a Supreme Court Master. Details about this opportunity including a detailed job profile, job requirements, and instructions for submitting an application are available here. The closing date for the competition is Friday, January 14, 2022.

November 18, 2021
UPDATE: ADDRESSING JUDGES

The BC Court of Appeal and BC Supreme Court have decided to eliminate the practice of addressing justices as “my lady”, “my lord”, “your ladyship” or “your lordship”. For more information, please see the revised Court of Appeal Practice Directive, Appearing before the Court and the new Supreme Court Practice Direction, Form of Address.

November 17, 2021
ABBOTSFORD LAW COURTS AND CHILLIWACK LAW COURTS OPERATIONS

The Supreme Court is currently operating as normal at Chilliwack Law Courts and Abbotsford Law Courts and all matters scheduled for hearing at these courthouses are proceeding as scheduled. Normal courthouse operations are subject to change if the flooding situation in Chilliwack and Abbotsford changes.

If you have a matter scheduled on the trial list or regular chambers list for next week and are having issues getting to the courthouse to file the required Application Record or other materials or attending for a scheduled appearance, please contact Tanya Dixon, Manager, Supreme Court Scheduling at Tanya.Dixon@BCCourts.ca

November 1, 2021
JUDICIAL RETIREMENT - THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE HARRY A. SLADE

The Supreme Court of British Columbia announces that the Honourable Mr. Justice Slade retired from the Supreme Court of British Columbia at Vancouver on October 29, 2021. Mr. Justice Slade was appointed to the Supreme Court in New Westminster on March 27, 2001.

October 8, 2021
JUDICIARY AND STAFF COVID-19 VACCINATION

All judges and other judicial officers in the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and Provincial Court of BC have received the full series of accepted COVID-19 vaccines, or a full series of a combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines approved by the Government of Canada.

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. This is consistent with the recent BC Public Service announcement that as of November 22, 2021 all public service employees, including court staff, will be vaccinated.

This is an announcement from all three BC courts.

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