LRO Closures
The Director of Titles has announced the closure of all 54 Land Registry Offices to the public effective October 13, 2020. This means that Friday, October 9, 2020 will be last day the Land Registry Office counter service will be available. Further details can be found in his letter to FOLA here.
If and when we receive further information of interest to the real estate bar, we will pass it along.
Stay up to date with FOLA’s real estate information at https://fola.ca/real-estate-law.
Merredith MacLennan and Eldon Horner
FOLA Real Estate Co-Chairs
Courthouse Finally Opens Today
As of today the Newmarket Courthouse is reopening to limited in person operations. In person trials and preliminary hearings are set to start today. All other criminal matters, including bail hearings and guilty pleas, will continue to be conducted remotely. In custody accused will only be brought to court in person to attend their trials or preliminary hearings.
As I indicated in last week's update, improvements have been made particularly in the way of signage, sanitization, screening and social distancing measures. Alot will be known shortly as these Phase 1 operations commence.
Crown Attorney's Association Injunction Application
Issues have been raised with respect to the health and safety of persons entering Courthouses across the Province by various stakeholders. In particular the Crown Attorney's Association is seeking an injunction to prevent their members from being required to personally attend courthouses given concerns over health and safety. This Application is currently awaiting a hearing. The CLA has advised its members to make their own personal decisions whether to enter courthouses or seek remote appearances.
As for today I have been advised that all assigned trial assistant crown attorneys attended Newmarket in person to deal with their trial matters.
Ministry Of The Attorney General PPE Policy
On Friday, MAG released a formal PPE policy, requiring all Ministry employees to wear appropriate PPE (surgical masks, as opposed to simply “face coverings”) where other appropriate measures are lacking or appropriate physical distancing is not possible. On Sunday MAG advised that surgical masks, face shields and other PPE will not be made available to defence counsel on site, although face coverings will be available to those who do not bring their own.
Crown Assignments Week of July 6, 2020
Monday July 6
202P – RDC
Robert.DeChellis@ontario.ca
200 Court (judge) – Jeff
Jeffrey.Costain1@ontario.ca
201 Court (judge) – Erin
Erin.Rizok2@ontario.ca
103 Bails – Tony
Tony.VandenEnde@ontario.ca
104 Bails – Ivana
Ivana.Denisov@ontario.ca
Bail Vettors –
Sham - Shambavi.Kumaresan@ontario.ca
Elissa - Elissa.Kulpers@ontario.ca
Remote Duty Crown – Brian
Brian.McCallion@ontario.ca
Trials – Leeanne, Michelle, Thompson
Tuesday July 7
202P – Brad
Bradley.Juriansz@ontario.ca
200 Court (judge) – Jacob
Jacob.Wilson@ontario.ca
201 Court (judge) – Tony
103 Bails - Neil
Anil.Singh2@ontario.ca
104 Bails – Greg
Greg.J.Elder@ontario.ca
Kevin - Kevin.Stewart@ontario.ca
Remote Duty Crown – Jeff
Wednesday July 8
202P – Samantha
Samantha.Peterson2@ontario.ca
200 Court (judge) – Ivana
201 Court (judge) – Philip
Philip.Hsiung@ontario.ca
103 Bails - Tony
104 Bails – Jacob
Remote Duty Crown – Jina
Trials – Michelle, Leeanne
Thursday July 9
202P – Greg
104 Bails – Brad
Remote Duty Crown – Rosanne
Trials – Leeanne, Rob DC, Philip, Tony
Friday July 10
202P - Jina
200 Court (judge) – Gemma
Gemma.Sang@ontario.ca
201 Court (judge) – Greg
103 Bails – Samantha
104 Bails – Thompson
Thompson.Hamilton@ontario.ca
Rosanne.Choi@ontario.ca
Courtroom Call In Information:
Tel. 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
Sincerely,
Norman Panzica
York Director, Criminal Lawyers Association
Notice to the Legal Profession and the Public regarding the use of online claims services
Notice to the Profession and the Public re Criminal Case Management Appearances and Setting Trial and Preliminary Inquiry Dates (Published July 2, 2020)
Trial / Preliminary Inquiry Scheduling Form
Criminal Case Adjournment Dates – Out-of-Custody Accused (Updated July 2, 2020) Note: The criminal case adjournment dates are subject to change. Please check this website regularly for any updates.
Addition to the June 17, 2020 notice:
COVID-19: Scheduling of Family Matters in the Ontario Court of Justice Addition (July 2, 2020)
On Tuesday the Attorney General announced that Ontario courts will carefully begin resuming in-person proceedings on Monday, July 6. To ensure all Ontarians understand the health and safety measures in place, the ministry created a dedicated web page: COVID-19: Reopening courtrooms.
The page explains that visitors will be screened before entry and must wear a face covering inside the courthouse. It also outlines the physical distancing and other measures that will be implemented.
In order to reduce in-person visits to courthouses, court users are encouraged to file documents through the Civil Claims, Small Claims or Family Claims online services or by email, as directed by the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice.
We encourage you to share the link. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to a safe return to in-person appearances in Ontario’s courtrooms.
Regards,
Office of the Children’s Lawyer – Communication Team
For Court Hearings During COVID-19 Pandemic
The Divisional Court will not resume in-person hearings on July 6, 2020 and will continue to hear matters remotely in accordance with this Notice to the Profession until further notice. Read the full Notice to the Profession here.
Courthouse and Courtroom Adjustments For Commencing Operations
Monday July 6, 2020 will see the Newmarket Courthouse commence a limited reopening to proceedings and operations as it enters Phase 1. There will be 5 courtrooms in the Courthouse modified and euipped with mitigation efforts, including significant portions of plexiglass and sanitizer stations. Those courtrooms are 102, 203, 204, 401 402.
Floor signage and hand sanitizers have been placed throughout the Courthouse and in courtrooms. The public elevator will have floor makings for those waiting, and suggested capacity of 2 persons at a time if not masked, and 3 if masked. The Courthouse will provide 1 day porter/cleaner per open courtroom to facilitate courtroom door and surface cleaning.
Courthouse Entrance Screening
While this issue, like so much else, is still being considered, the initial process will involve entrance screening of all persons, both public and participants, prior to entering the Courthouse, with a minimum of screening type questions being asked.
There is no clear direction as to the requirement to wear masks. While masks will be offered to all, for those persons required to attend court, the general belief at this point is that masks cannot be required, and only offered, as those persons are not voluntary entrants. For those who will not mask for whatever reason, they may be placed in a separate waiting area somewhere while the matter is brought to the attention of the relevant jurist to be addressed and dealt.
No Separate Entrance For Counsel/Staff
At this time, counsel and staff will need to enter by the same entrance as the general public. Jurists will be made aware that same may result in counsel being "late" for appearances and to expect same. It is expected that counsel once screened, would receive a day pass.
Courtroom Plexiglass
There have been concerns raised with respect to height and location of plexiglass within the courtrooms installed for health and safety. In particular, gaps between sections of plexiglass, the height of and absence of same in areas of the courtrooms may be issues to be addressed going forward.
Further Tour
I anticipate attending another tour of the Courthouse and courtrooms wirh a small group sometime this week and prior to the "re-open" on Monday July 6, 2020.
HVAC And Air Quality
With respect to air quality and HVAC isssues, Infrastructure Ontario and CBRE are conducting province wide reports for all.courthouses across the Province prior to July 6, 2020. Newmarket is anticipated to its assessment done today or tomorrow.
Courtroom "Water"
There will not be the traditional water jugs and cups available for participants given touch point issues. Instead, courtrooms will be equipped when courts in session, with water bottles. Counsel will be permitted to bring an "appropriate " or "dignified " bottle of water into courtrooms and jurists will be asked to relax the normal rules of decorum.
Phase 1 Re-opening - Trial/Prelim Confirmation and In Custody Appearances
As on Monday's Phase 1 reopening, there will be 3 operating trial courts. In custody persons will only be coming in person for trials and preliminary hearings. For all other appearances in custody persons will continue to appear remotely.
A confirmation/admin court will sit on Mondays and will start today. That court will address all trial matters scheduled for the following week. Phase 2 will add an additional 3 trial courts.
Crown Assignments Week of June 29, 2020
Monday June 29
200 Court (judge) – Philip
Michelle - Michelle.Rumble@ontario.ca
Remote Duty Crown – Lesley
Lesley.Pasquino@ontario.ca
Tuesday June 30
202P – Jacob
200 Court (judge) – Michael D
Michael.Demczur@ontario.ca
103 Bails - Gemma
Brad - Bradley.Juriansz@ontario.ca
Remote Duty Crown – Erin
Wednesday July 1
HOLIDAY
Thursday July 2
202P – Rob De Chellis
200 Court (judge) – Thompson
103 Bails - Philip
Martin - Martin.Dionne@ontario.ca
Friday July 3
202P - Greg
201 Court (judge) – Neil
104 Bails – Samantha
Brian - Brian.McCallion@ontario.ca
Dear Family Law Members:
Please find attached the Family Legal Services Provider Licence Consultation Paper.
The The Access to Justice Committee seeks input by November 30, 2020.
York Region Law Association 50 Eagle St W, 3rd Floor Newmarket ON L3Y 6B1 905-895-2018 / 1-866-221-8864