JANUARY - MARCH 2024

March 4, 2024
CRIMINAL PRACTICE DIRECTION 1 (CPD-1) - CRIMINAL PRE-TRIAL CONFERENCE PROCESS

Associate Chief Justice Holmes has amended paragraph 8 of Criminal Practice Direction 1 (CPD-1). CPD-1 now requires that a pre-trial conference for all sexual offences take place at least four months before the scheduled trial. The updated version of CPD-1 can be found here.

February 28, 2024
JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS - JUSTICE SANDRA M. SUKSTORF, JUSTICE CHRISTOPHER W. GREENWOOD, JUSTICE MAEGEN M. GILTROW, JUSTICE KARRIE A. WOLFE AND JUSTICE Y. LILIANE BANTOURAKIS

The Supreme Court of British Columbia welcomes the appointment of the Honourable Justice Sandra M. Sukstorf to Port Coquitlam, the Honourable Justice Christopher W. Greenwood and the Honourable Justice Maegen M. Giltrow to Vancouver, the Honourable Justice Karrie A. Wolfe to Victoria and the Honourable Justice Y. Liliane Bantourakis to New Westminster. For more information on the Court’s newest justices, please see the press release issued by the Department of Justice. Public welcoming ceremonies for the new justices will be scheduled and information about the welcoming ceremonies will be posted on the court’s website in due course.

February 28, 2024
JUDICIAL TRANSFER

The Supreme Court of British Columbia announces the transfer of Justice Bruce Elwood to Vancouver from New Westminster as of February 28, 2024.

February 21, 2024
CALL AND ADMISSION CEREMONY - FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2024

This event will take place in the Great Hall at the Vancouver Law Courts at 1:30 pm. The ceremony will be conducted by the Honourable Chief Justice Christopher E. Hinkson.

February 12, 2024
SUPREME COURT ASSOCIATE JUDGE APPOINTMENT

The Supreme Court of British Columbia welcomes the appointment of Associate Judge Lawrence Robinson in Vancouver. For more information about Associate Judge Robinson, please see the news release issued by the Attorney General of British Columbia. A public welcoming ceremony for Associate Judge Robinson will be held on a date to be scheduled, and information about the welcoming ceremony will be posted on the Court’s website once it is available.

February 5, 2024
UPDATE: ONLINE BOOKING FOR CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS

Since 2020, counsel and parties have had the option of booking Case Planning Conferences, Judicial Case Conferences, and Trial Management Conferences through the Supreme Court’s online booking system. Beginning in fall 2024, the Court will be transitioning to a fully online booking system for these types of conferences, as well as for trials and lengthy chambers hearings in civil and family matters. Chief Justice Hinkson has issued a notice regarding the transition to online booking for civil and family matters.

February 1, 2024
REVISIONS TO ADMINISTRATIVE NOTICE 12 - BANKRUPTCY HEARINGS BEFORE A REGISTRAR IN BANKRUPTCY

Chief Justice Hinkson has revised Administrative Notice 12 - Bankruptcy Hearings Before a Registrar in Bankruptcy. This Administrative Notice sets out the process to be followed to schedule hearings before a Registrar in Bankruptcy, the default methods of appearance, and how to submit materials. Please note that bankruptcy hearings are, by default, held in person in Vancouver, New Westminster, Victoria, Nanaimo, Kamloops and Kelowna. Bankruptcy hearings are, by default, held remotely for Prince George, Prince Rupert, Nelson and Vernon.

January 30, 2024
CHIEF JUSTICE HINKSON ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

Chief Justice Hinkson has announced that he will be retiring from the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia effective May 7, 2024.

January 30, 2024
SUPREME COURT CLOSURE - PRINCE GEORGE LAW COURTS - JANUARY 30, 2024

Due to the power outage in Prince George that is impacting the courthouse, Chief Justice Hinkson has directed that the closure of the Supreme Court registry at Prince George Law and the adjournment of all proceedings scheduled for hearing in Prince George today. It is anticipated that the power will be restored and that the Prince George Law Courts will reopen tomorrow.

If you have an appearance scheduled in Prince George today and require further information, please contact Supreme Court Scheduling at 250.614.2750.

The Supreme Court is co-located with the Provincial Court in Prince George. For more information about the Provincial Court in Prince George, please consult the Provincial Court website.

January 22, 2024
CRIMINAL PRACTICE DIRECTION 7 (CPD-7) - PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATIONS TO VARY OR REVOKE A PUBLICATION BAN UNDER s. 486.51 OF THE CRIMINAL CODE

Associate Chief Justice Holmes has issued Criminal Practice Direction 7 (CPD-7), which sets out the general procedure for applying under s. 486.51 of the Criminal Code to vary or revoke a publication ban made under s. 486.4 or 486.5 of the Code.  A practice direction that is substantively identical to this one is being issued in the Provincial Court. CPD-7 can be found here.

January 16, 2024
NOTICE TO THE PROFESSION, THE PUBLIC AND THE MEDIA REGARDING CIVIL AND FAMILY PROCEEDINGS - RENAMING OF THE MASTERS CHAMBERS PILOT PROJECT AND EXPANSION TO VANCOUVER

Amendments to the Supreme Court Act to change the title of master to associate judge were brought into force on January 15, 2024. The Masters Chambers Pilot Project has accordingly been renamed the Associate Judges Chambers Pilot Project.

As set out in the Associate Judges Chambers Pilot Project Notice, the Associate Judges Chambers Pilot Project, which allows for electronic filing of chambers application records in PDF format through Court Services Online, will be expanded to Vancouver on Monday, January 29, 2024.

The Project was initially available for applications scheduled for 30 minutes or less in masters chambers at court locations on Vancouver Island (Campbell River, Courtenay, Duncan, Nanaimo, Port Alberni , and Victoria) and in Powell River. The Project expanded to include court locations in the interior region (Cranbrook, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nelson, Penticton, Rossland, Salmon Arm and Vernon) on June 19, 2023, to court locations in the northern region (Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Prince George, Quesnel, Smithers and Terrace) on October 23, 2023, and to court locations in Abbotsford, Chilliwack and New Westminster on December 4, 2023. The Project is now being expanded to applications scheduled for 30 minutes or less in associate judges chambers in Vancouver, commencing January 29, 2024.

Detailed instructions about working with PDFs can be found here.

January 15, 2024
CHANGE OF TITLE FROM MASTER TO ASSOCIATE JUDGE

Amendments to the Supreme Court Act to change the title of master to associate judge were brought into force today. The modernization of this title more accurately captures the important role of associate judges and promotes a more inclusive and accessible justice system.

Chief Justice Hinkson has issued Practice Direction 64 - Form of Address which updates the form of address for judges, associate judges, the registrar and district registrars, and provides directions as to how parties and counsel can advise the Court of their form of address.

In light of this change, necessary updates are being made to practice directions, administrative notices, policies, and other content on the Court's website.

January 15, 2024
PRACTICE DIRECTION 65 - CONSENT ADJOURNMENTS OF APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS ON THE CHAMBERS LIST

The Supreme Court Civil Rules and the Supreme Court Family Rules have been amended to incorporate the procedures set out in Administrative Notice 10 - Late Application Records; Reinstatements to Chambers List and Administrative Notice 16 - Vexatious Litigants - Request for Leave to File Process or Documents, and most of the procedures set out in Practice Direction 28 - Chambers Practice. Therefore, Chief Justice Hinkson has rescinded Administrative Notice 10 and Administrative Notice 16, and replaced Practice Direction 28 with Practice Direction 65 - Consent Adjournments of Applications and Petitions on the Chambers List, which continues the current requirements for notifying the Court of consent adjournments of applications and petitions on the hearing list.

Practice Direction 63 - TMCs, Trial Briefs, and Trial Certificates - Transitional Guidance is also rescinded. For more information, please see the attached notice.

January 9, 2024
WELCOMING CEREMONY - JUSTICE GARETH MORLEY - FEBRUARY 12, 2024

A Welcoming Ceremony for the Honourable Justice Gareth Morley will be held on Monday, February 12, 2024, at 4:15 p.m. in courtroom 401 at the Victoria Law Courts. Members of the public are invited to attend the Welcoming Ceremony.

January 8, 2024
JUDICIAL LAW CLERK PROGRAM RECRUITMENT FOR THE 2025-2026 TERM

Applications will be accepted to the Judicial Law Clerk Program for the 2025-2026 term starting January 8, 2024. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 11:00 a.m., with video conference interviews with legal counsel to be scheduled in early February and final interviews with judges to be scheduled March 4 to March 7 (Court of Appeal) and March 11 to March 15 (Supreme Court). Learn more about the Judicial Law Clerk Program including the required qualifications and application process here.

The job posting for Judicial Law Clerk applications is available here.

January 3, 2024
RETIREMENT - MASTER PETER KEIGHLEY

The Supreme Court of British Columbia announces that Master Keighley retired from the Supreme Court of British Columbia at New Westminster on December 31, 2023. Master Keighley was appointed as Master of the Supreme Court in 2004.

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