Letter from Attorney General Doug Downey re Estate Act Consultations. Submissions due August 23, 2020.
Please be advised that the Ontario Court of Justice issued new criminal Notices and a Practice Direction last night. Please find the new notices at: https://www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/covid-19/
On August 5, 2020, the Justice Services Online platform (ontario.ca/familyclaims and ontario.ca/page/file-civil-claim-online) has expanded to enable the online submission of close to 400 more types of civil and family court documents.
I have attached copies of a letter to the legal community, along with a poster.
Also, as you know, MAG has procured Thomson Reuters CaseLines for the SCJ and a two-week test phase will begin on August 10, 2020 for selected civil motions and pre-trial conferences in Toronto. The pilot will then expand incrementally to other practice areas and court locations. It is anticipated that CaseLines will be implemented province-wide in all SCJ court locations and practice areas by December 31, 2020.
Zoom CaseLines information session:
Monday, August 10, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.
Please click the following link to join this session and enter the passcode below:
https://ca01web.zoom.us/j/66103478817?pwd=dEpzdG5Mb2tZdDA3TmNnVitWa0t1UT09
Passcode (Required): 579037
This presentation will be recorded and available on the SCJ website for those who are unable to attend.
More information about the above webinar and e-Filing in Civil and Family Matters, please see the Supplementary Notice to the Profession and Litigants in Civil and Family Matters – Including Electronic Filings and Document Sharing (Caselines Pilot) (August 5, 2020). The Notice is available here.
Katie W. Robinette
Executive Director
FOLA.ca
Need answers to COVID-19 issues regarding the practice of law? CLICK HERE.
Pease find attached, a copy of FOLA’s weekly Update.
Also, On August 1st, 2020, a new regulation was made under the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act to set out the framework for commissioners who wish to exercise their powers without being in the physical presence of the deponent or declarant. That regulation is available here.
Supplementary Notice to the Profession and Litigants in Civil and Family Matters – Including Electronic Filings and Document Sharing (Caselines Pilot) (August 5, 2020)
On August 5, 2020 the Ministry of the Attorney General filed a regulation to amend the Rules of Civil Procedure, O. Reg 441/20.
The amendments introduce a new court rule, rule 4.05.2, to authorize the use of the Civil Submissions Online system. This new online system, released this morning, allows the electronic submission of over 250 types of documents for filing and issuance in Superior Court of Justice civil actions and applications.
A summary of the amendments is available on the Ontario Regulatory Registry.
Further inquiry can be directed to the following addresses, with O. Reg 441/20. in the subject line: attorneygeneral@ontario.ca
Court Services Division
Ministry of the Attorney General
Weekly Assignment Court
Please be aware that given today's holiday, the Assignment court for criminal matters will be in courtroom 201 tomorrow, Tuesday August 4, 2020.
All matters set for trial or preliminary hearing on any day of the week if August 10, 2020 must be addressed by counsel tomorrow.
Courtroom Call In Information
416-212-8012 866-633-0848
100 Intake/Other matters #4942812
103 Bail #4674204
104 Bail #6532049
200 Remand/Plea #5467574
201 Remand/Plea #9851321
Crown Assignments Week of August 3, 2020
Tuesday August 4
202P – Jina
Jina.Lee@ontario.ca
200 Court (judge) – Michael D.
Michael.Demczur@ontario.ca
201 Court (judge) – Jacob
Jacob.Wilson@ontario.ca
103 Bails - Samantha
Samantha.Peterson2@ontario.ca
104 Bails – Michelle
Michelle.Rumble@ontario.ca
Bail Vettors –
Elissa - Elissa.Kulpers@ontario.ca
Sham Shambavi.Kumaresan@ontario.ca
Remote Duty Crown – Lori
Trials – Martin, Caitlin, Michael V., Tony, Neil, Nicole, Philip
Wednesday August 5
202P – Brad
Bradley.Juriansz@ontario.ca
200 Court (judge) – Gemma
Gemma.Sang@ontario.ca
201 Court (judge) – Erin
Erin.Rizok2@ontario.ca
103 Bails - Jacob
104 Bails – Samantha
Jeff - Jeffrey.Costain1@ontario.ca
Remote Duty Crown – Greg
Greg.J.Elder@ontario.ca
Thursday August 6
200 Court (judge) – Michelle
201 Court (judge) – Ivana
Ivana.Denisov@ontario.ca
103 Bails – Tony
Tony.VandenEnde@ontario.ca
104 Bails – Greg
Remote Duty Crown – Rosanne
Rosanne.Choi@ontario.ca
Trials – Martin, Caitlin, Michael V., Nicole, Phyllis, Jenna
Friday August 7
202P - Neil
Anil.Singh2@ontario.ca
201 Court (judge) – Philip
Philip.Hsiung@ontario.ca
104 Bails – Jeanaha
Jeanaha.Kim@ontario.ca
Sincerely,
Norman Panzica
York Director, Criminal Lawyers Association
Please find attached, a copy of FOLA’s weekly Sector Call Report. It is also available online here. Please circulate with your members.
And a couple of important reminders:
Please note that the Court of Appeal currently has a Call for Submissions on the Report of the Discount rate Sub-committee of the Civil Rules Committee. The deadline is July 31th and submissions should be no more than 5 pages. FOLA’s submission, which you can read here, has been sent in and if you are interested in preparing one of your own, it should be sent to Falguni Debnath, Senior Legal Officer c/o Victoria Anderson at Victoria.Anderson@ontario.ca.
Also, in an effort to update the Libel and Slander Act, MAG is currently seeking comments on the Law Commission of Ontario’s report entitled “Defamation Law in the Internet Age”. FOLA has presented MAG with our submission (which you can read here) but if you are planning on submitting your own, you should direct it to Amanda Iarusso, Director of Policy and Legal Affairs, AMG, at amanda.iarusso@ontario.ca by August 1st 2020.
Both reports are mentioned and hyperlinked in the attached Report.
Just wish to pass on to members the following remand Protocol released by the Ontario Court Of Justice yesterday. Noteworthy is the continuation of the automatic adjournment, which was set to end on Friday. This Protocol is extended until atleast August 21, 2020.
Here is the Notice:
This Notice provides an update regarding criminal case management appearances in the Ontario Court of Justice by accused persons who are out of custody. Further information about criminal proceedings in the Ontario Court of Justice, including the definition of “case management appearances”, is available in the COVID-19: Notice to Counsel and the Public re: Criminal Matters in the Ontario Court of Justice.
Although the Ontario Court of Justice has resumed hearing trials and preliminary inquiries at a limited number of courthouses, the number of people who may be present in the courthouse and in the courtroom remains restricted in order to comply with health and safety precautions and maintain safe physical distancing. For this reason, in-person attendances for criminal court case management appearances can not currently be accommodated.
The Court has been actively working to adopt technology that will allow accused persons and/or counsel to attend criminal case management appearances using remote technology. On Monday August 10, 2020, a virtual criminal case management court pilot will be launched in Ottawa and Kitchener, in which criminal case management appearances will be conducted by videoconference or audioconference. The Court expects to begin implementing virtual criminal case management courts at other court locations later in August.
Case management appearances by accused persons who are in custody will continue to be conducted using remote technology as they have been since March 2020.
Please continue to check the Ontario Court of Justice website for updates.
Commencing Monday August 10, 2020, criminal case management court appearances for out of custody accused will resume at Ottawa and Kitchener using remote technology.
Beginning Monday August 10, 2020, counsel and accused persons who are out of custody will be able to attend for criminal case management appearances in Kitchener and Ottawa by audioconference (telephone) or videoconference using Zoom.
Criminal case management appearances will be conducted by remote appearance (audioconference or videoconference) only. If you have a case management criminal court appearance in the Ontario Court of Justice in Kitchener or Ottawa, do not attend court in person.
Details regarding the pilot in Kitchener and Ottawa, including information about how counsel and accused persons may connect to the court by videoconference or audioconference, will be published the week of August 4, 2020.
Criminal case management appearances in Ottawa and Kitchener before the pilot begins on August 10, 2020 will continue to be automatically adjourned, in the absence of the accused, as described in section 4.3a of the COVID-19: Notice to Counsel and the Public re: Criminal Matters in the Ontario Court of Justice.
The Court expects to begin conducting criminal case management appearances by audioconference or videoconference at additional court locations later in August.
In the meantime, the automatic adjournment of criminal court appearances for accused persons who are not in custody, described in section 4.3a of the COVID-19: Notice to Counsel and the Public re: Criminal Matters in the Ontario Court of Justice, will be extended to August 21, 2020, at court locations across Ontario except Ottawa and Kitchener.
If you have a case management criminal court appearance in the Ontario Court of Justice, on or before August 21, 2020, in a location other than Ottawa or Kitchener, do not attend court. The court will adjourn your matter without you being present, using a court order called a “bench warrant with discretion”, which will require you to attend court on the new date.
To find out what date your matter is being adjourned to, see the list of adjournment dates.
Criminal case management appearances for accused persons who are in custody will continue to be conducted by remote appearances (audioconference or videoconference), in accordance with the procedures in place since March 2020.
As part of LAO’s emergency response to the COVID pandemic, lawyers will now be able to bill (as of July 26, 2020) Legal Aid Online for:
1. COVID JPT
• Matters must be set down for either a preliminary inquiry or trial, and the JPT must occur between March 16 and October 31, 2020.
• Coverage is limited to one special COVID JPT per proceeding, however, counsel may still request second JPT coverage for matters set down for a preliminary inquiry or trial in the Ontario Court of Justice. This is in addition to JPT and Superior Court of Justice pre-trial coverage available on all criminal certificates.
• For the first JPT request, if eligible, coverage will be automatically added to the certificate within 24 hours of the request. Subsequent requests for JPT coverage will be routed to respective District worklists.
2. Myers (s.525) reviews
• Matters are not subject to merit testing.
• For the first request, coverage will be automatically added to the certificate within 24 hours of the request. Subsequent requests will be routed to respective District worklists.
Further information may be obtained at:
In briefs for lawyers
https://www.legalaid.on.ca/in-briefs/request-your-mandatory-judicial-pretrial-coverage-online/
COVID-19: Ongoing supports for lawyers
https://www.legalaid.on.ca/lawyers-legal-professionals/covid-19-ongoing-list-of-supports-for-lawyers/
York Region Law Association 50 Eagle St W, 3rd Floor Newmarket ON L3Y 6B1 905-895-2018 / 1-866-221-8864