JULY - SEPTEMBER 2023

September 22, 2023
NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

The Supreme Court of British Columbia will be closed on Monday, October 2, 2023 in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which takes place Saturday, September 30, 2023. The day is a solemn acknowledgement of the tragic and painful history of residential schools and honours the healing journey of the Survivors, their families, and their communities. It is also an opportunity to support the ongoing process of reconciliation and consider the role each of us plays in furthering reconciliation.

September 13, 2023
FORT NELSON COURTHOUSE CLOSURE - SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

The Fort Nelson courthouse and registry will be closed on Thursday, September 14, 2023 as the result of a planned BC Hydro outage.

While the Supreme Court does not sit in Fort Nelson, the registry accepts Supreme Court filings. Individuals in Fort Nelson wishing to file Supreme Court materials are encouraged to file using Court Services Online or attend the registry when it reopens on Friday, September 15, 2023.

The Supreme Court is co-located with the Provincial Court in Fort Nelson. For information on Provincial Court operations, please check the Provincial Court website.

September 1, 2023
AMENDMENTS TO THE CIVIL AND FAMILY RULES: REVISION OF INFORMATION SHEETS RE TRIAL BRIEFS AND TRIAL CERTIFICATE, RECISSION OF FPD-6, FPD-18, PD-49, PD-51 and AN-13, REVISIONS TO PD-4 AND PD-28 AND NEW FPD-19

A number of amendments to the Supreme Court Family Rules and Supreme Court Civil Rules take effect on September 1, 2023, pursuant to OIC No. 425-2023

As a consequence of these amendments, the following information sheets have been updated:

• Trial Brief Information Sheet, which provides guidance on filing requirements for trial briefs and examples of filing deadline calculations; and
• Trial Certificate Information Sheet, which provides guidance on filing requirements for trial certificates and examples of filing deadline calculations.

• Family Practice Direction 6 - Short Notice Applications - Family;
• Family Practice Direction 18 - Applications made by Requisition pursuant to Supreme Court Family Rules 7-1(4), 14-3(4), 22-1(3) and (4) and 22-6(4);
• Practice Direction 49 - Applications by Requisition & Supporting Letter pursuant to Supreme Court Civil Rules 5-1(3), 5-2(3)(a), 5-2(3)(b), 12-2(4) and 23-5(4);
• Practice Direction 51 - Consent Order to Dispense with Trial Management Conference in Civil Cases; and
• Administrative Notice 13 - Inclusion of Trial Briefs in the Trial Record.

• Practice Direction 4 - Case Planning and Judicial Management of Actions, has been updated, including to clarify that case planning and judicial management is available in family actions as well as in civil actions, and to include reference to family Form F19.2 (Notice of Case Planning Conference).
• Practice Direction 28 - Chambers Practice, has been updated to remove reference to filing timelines for application and petition records, which are included in the civil and family rules effective September 1, 2023.
• Family Practice Direction 19 - Applications made by Requisition, Supreme Court Family Rules 22-1(3) and (4) - Judicial Case Conferences, provides that applications for directions that a person may attend a JCC by telephone, video conference or other communications medium, and the manner in which a JCC is to be conducted, may be made by filing a Requisition in Form F19.1.

August 28, 2023
JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT - JUSTICE GARETH MORLEY

The Supreme Court of British Columbia welcomes the appointment of the Honourable Justice J. Gareth Morley to Victoria. For more information, please see the press release issued by the Department of Justice.

A public welcoming ceremony for Justice Morley will be held on a date to be scheduled. Information about the welcoming ceremony will be posted on the Court’s website.

August 21, 2023
KELOWNA COURTHOUSE RE-OPENS MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2023

The Kelowna Courthouse is open as of Monday, August 21, 2023, and onwards until further notice. All court matters will proceed as scheduled.

The situation will continue to be monitored and any subsequent updates will be posted on the Supreme Court website. 

The Supreme Court is co-located with the Provincial Court in Kelowna. For information on Provincial Court operations please check the Provincial Court website.

August 18, 2023
KELOWNA COURTHOUSE CLOSURE

The Kelowna Courthouse is closed for the balance of Friday, August 18, 2023, due to the impact of wildfires and evacuation orders in areas of Kelowna and West Kelowna.

Online filing using Court Services Online remains available while the registry is closed.

As this situation evolves, updates will be posted on the Supreme Court website.

The Supreme Court is co-located with the Provincial Court in Kelowna. For information on Provincial Court operations please check the Provincial Court website.

August 14, 2023
CRIMINAL PRACTICE DIRECTION 6 (CPD-6) - APPEARANCES BY COUNSEL AND ACCUSED PERSONS IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

Criminal Practice Direction 6, Appearances by Counsel and Accused Persons in Criminal Proceedings has been issued by Associate Chief Justice Holmes and will take effect on September 5, 2023. COVID-19 Notice 51 (Method of Attendance for Criminal Proceedings) and COVID-19 Notice 30 (Applications under s. 490 of the Criminal Code (Further Detention of Things Seized) during the pandemic are rescinded effective September 5, 2023.

August 14, 2023
AMENDMENTS TO CRIMINAL PRACTICE DIRECTION 4 (CPD-4) - PROCEDURE FOR DETENTION REVIEWS UNDER S. 525 OF THE CRIMINAL CODE

Amendments have been made to CPD-4, which take effect immediately. Please review the revised CPD-4 by clicking here, or by visiting the Criminal Practice Direction page. Amendments of note include:

• A new procedure to apply to end the s. 525 detention review process due to ineligibility;
• A limit on the use of the Adjournment Form to adjourn the Scheduling Hearing; and
• A new process to expedite the transcript ordering process at the Scheduling Hearing.

The revised CPD-4 is in the process of being translated into French.

August 14, 2023
JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS - JUSTICE DAVID JONES AND JUSTICE JENNIFER WHATELY

The Supreme Court of British Columbia welcomes the appointment of the Honourable Justice David Jones and the Honourable Justice Jennifer Whately to Vancouver. For more information, please see the press release issued by the Department of Justice.

Public welcoming ceremonies for Justice Jones and Justice Whately will be held on a date to be scheduled. Information about the welcoming ceremonies will be posted on the Court’s website.

August 3, 2023
AMENDMENTS TO SUPREME COURT CIVIL AND FAMILY RULES AND PRACTICE DIRECTION 63 - TRIAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES, TRIAL BRIEFS AND TRIAL CERTIFICATES - TRANSITIONAL GUIDANCE

A number of amendments to the Supreme Court Family Rules and Supreme Court Civil Rules will take effect on September 1, 2023.

Amendments of note include:

• new criteria for when a trial management conference must be conducted;
• expanded trial brief forms and new deadlines for when they must be filed and served;
• a new requirement to provide an email addresses for service, if available;
• the option to schedule case planning conferences for family law cases; and,
• the option to apply for judgment by way of summary trial in undefended family law cases.

For full details about the amendments see OIC No. 425-2023.

Please be advised that Chief Justice Hinkson has issued Practice Direction 63 - Trial Management Conferences, Trial Briefs and Trial Certificates - Transitional Guidance, which provides transitional guidance to parties about filing and serving trial briefs, adjourning trial management conferences where no longer required by the Rules, and filing trial certificates for trials scheduled after the amendments come into effect on September 1, 2023.

August 1, 2023
REVISIONS TO PRACTICE DIRECTION 58 - SEALING ORDERS IN CIVIL AND FAMILY PROCEEDINGS AND PRACTICE DIRECTION 61 - APPLICATIONS TO COMMENCE PROCEEDINGS ANONYMOUSLY

Please be advised that Chief Justice Hinkson has revised two practice directions.

Practice Direction 58 - Sealing Orders in Civil and Family Proceedings sets out that an applicant seeking a sealing order must prepare a draft sealing order in the form attached in Schedule A, have it vetted by the registry, and provide it to the Court at the hearing of the application. This Practice Direction also sets out the steps required after obtaining a sealing order.

Practice Direction 61 - Applications to Commence Proceedings Anonymously sets out the procedure for commencing proceedings using initials or a pseudonym in civil or family law cases.

July 7, 2023
CPD-5 - FRENCH OR BILINGUAL CRIMINAL JURY TRIALS

Please be advised that Criminal Practice Direction 5, French or Bilingual Criminal Jury Trials, has been issued by Associate Chief Justice Holmes effective September 1, 2023. This criminal practice direction expands the locations available for French or bilingual criminal jury trials to Vancouver and New Westminster. As of September 1, 2023, Criminal Practice Direction 5 rescinds and replaces the December 1, 2000, Notice Re: Criminal Jury Trials in French.

(Back To Archives)