The Ontario Court of Justice announced today the first stage of province-wide implementation of virtual criminal case management courts. Virtual criminal case management courts will be starting on Monday 24, 2020 in Cayuga, Goderich, Guelph, Orangeville, L’Orignal,  Pembroke, Saint Thomas, Simcoe, Stratford, Windsor, Woodstock.  They will be starting on Monday August 31, 2020 in Oshawa, Thunder Bay, Timmins and Toronto East (1911 Eglinton). 

 Additional information is available in the following Notice: Update regarding Criminal Case Management Appearances – Province-Wide Implementation of Virtual Case Management Courts (Published August 19, 2020).

 Further details, including information about how counsel and accused persons can connect to the court by videoconference or audioconference, will be posted tomorrow.

 Additionally, the Ontario Court of Justice has posted a new document that provides general information to self-represented accused persons who have criminal cases in the OCJ during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not a complete review of the criminal process and does not cover every circumstance that might arise in a given case. The new guide is available here: Information for Self-Represented Accused Persons with Criminal Cases in the Ontario Court of Justice.

Katie W. Robinette

Executive Director

FOLA.ca

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