Electronic Trials and Change is the subject of my article in BC’s Advocate magazine. Blogging Tip: this sentence mirrors the title because search engine optimization runs best that way. In the article, I curate the story of electronic trial processes in British Columbia both before and after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic. I use […]
Author Archives: Kate Gower
CaseLines is in the BC Courts more than you may realize. Nuchatlaht v. BC successfully used CaseLines in the BC Supreme Court from March-May, 2022, with closing arguments heard September-October, 2022. In court, and in all written submissions, documents and authorities were referenced by their “Bates Numbers” – the letter and number which CaseLines affixes […]
CaseLines in Ontario is modernizing the Superior Court of Justice. The program rollout began in Summer 2020, and two years later it is being used in most hearings before the Superior Court. CaseLines is not limited to remote hearings. Parties expect to use CaseLines and refer to the “Bates Numbers” on each page when attending […]
The cloud-based document management program, CaseLines, was introduced at the Federal Court of Canada this week, used by the parties and the Court in a motion to strike before Prothonotary Aalto. Cermaq Canada Ltd. brought the motion, seeking to strike two declarations sought by the Dzawada’enuxw First Nation (DFN) in its Statement of Claim filed. […]
Ontario Courts will launch CaseLines, a cloud-based document-management system, beginning August 10, 2020. A two-week pilot will be for select civil motions and pre-trial conferences and will run in Toronto at the 330 University Avenue courthouse. The pilot will expand to all Toronto civil, Divisional Court, Commercial and Estate List, and bankruptcy matters on August […]
“What E-Trials are running in BC right now?” is a question that several different judges have recently asked counsel to research. The British Columbia Supreme Court is on track to start holding virtual hearings, but questions remain about how to handle documents and exhibits. To help everyone, here is a summary of the cases currently […]
Zoom Hearings are underway at the British Columbia Court of Appeal. Today’s update on the justice system pivoting in the face of COVID-19’s “new normal” also includes a live-stream from Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and Ontario’s Divisional Court and Toronto Commercial and Estate List hearing cases via Zoom. The B.C. Court of Appeal goes […]
Effective today, COVID-19 Telephone Conference Hearings (or “TCH”s) are B.C.’s newest process for hearing Civil and Family matters in the unfolding COVID-19 situation. The new E-Hearings mean that the Supreme Court of British Columbia can expand what matters it will hear using a process that includes: the BC Courts Scheduling website, a new TCH form, […]
A remote hearing before the Ontario Divisional Court was live-streamed today. Also in this week’s update on how the justice system is pivoting in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic: Canadian Courts’ jurisdiction to run virtual hearings, Australian Courts’ pivot to holding all proceedings as remote hearings and the UK’s move to gather more evidence […]
Virtual hearings are happening in courtrooms across Canada as the justice system adapts to the unfolding COVID-19 situation. This week’s update on pivots in the justice system includes: virtual hearings in Manitoba and Alberta, outreach in Ontario and data and resources we can learn from out of the UK: Alberta, Manitoba (and some courts in […]