Notice to the Professional

See Also: Urgent Motions during COVID-19 (Civil)

Notices - Re: General

• Memorandum – Chief Justice Morawetz to all Associations Re: Caselines (July 29, 2020)

Notice to the Profession, Litigants, Accused, Media and Members of the Public (June 25, 2020)

(July 6/20 amended typo in para.F.c.iii)

A. Introduction

On May 13, 2020, I issued an updated and Consolidated Notice to the Profession regarding matters that would be heard virtually – by telephone or video conference – during the suspension of in-court operations in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (SCJ) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In that Notice, I indicated that the SCJ will not resume in-person hearings of any court matters until July 6, 2020, at the earliest.

In this Notice, I advise the profession, litigants, accused, the media and the public of the steps that are expected to be completed to permit some in-court hearings to resume at certain court locations, effective July 6, 2020.

REGIONAL NOTICES

• Notice to Profession for Appeals from the Landlord and Tenant Board in the Divisional Court (Effective August 24, 2020)
• Notice Regarding the Suspension of Small Claims Court Operations (August 26, 2020)

REGIONAL NOTICE - Re: Central South (Kitchener)

• Notice to the Profession – Central South Region Re: Civil, Family, Criminal Expansion (Kitchener)

Notice Re Urgent Matters Emailed to Trial Co-Ordinators

For all urgent matters emailed to trial coordinators pursuant to the Chief Justice’s Notices to the Profession dated March 15, 2020, please be advised that emails received at or after 4:30 pm will be addressed the following business day. This administrative measure is necessary to manage the high volume of emails sent to trial coordinators in each area of the Superior Court’s work: civil, family, criminal and Divisional Court.

CONTESTED MOTIONS/APPLICATIONS (Kitchener)

• The court will hear contested motions or applications which can be argued in less than 45 minutes by zoom or conference call. The motion material shall indicate any Wednesday for the motion hearing date.

• Concise material shall be filed with Court Services, in PDF with hyperlinks to tabs and exhibits; while draft orders are to be filed in WORD. The material shall be filed by email to Court Services at: Kitchener.Superior.Court@ontario.ca

• The moving party must then complete service at least 7 days prior to the date the motion is to be heard. If responding material is filed 4 days prior to the motion date, a confirmation must be filed by the moving party stating that responding material has been filed. Confirmations are to be sent by email to the Trial Coordinators at: Kitchener.Superior.Court@ontario.ca

• If no responding material is filed 3 days prior to the original motion date then the moving party must file a confirmation to that effect, and the motion will proceed as an unopposed basket motion and the original motion hearing date will be vacated.

• Parties must undertake to file all materials and any fee payable upon resumption of normal court operations.