Notice to the Profession
April 24, 2020

Provincial justice system advisory groups established

The Ministry of the Attorney General has established two advisory groups to support government response to the impact of restrictive public health measures on the justice system. The first group is the Justice COVID-19 Response Group, which formalizes the structure for regular discussions that have been taking place between the courts, legal stakeholder groups and the Ministry of the Attorney General. The second advisory group is the Cross-Jurisdictional Technical Advisory Group, which will assist the work of the Justice Response Group by recommending best practice technology and other measures that can reduce backlogs and deliver access to justice during and post-pandemic. For more information, read the Ministry of Attorney General’s media release.

Certificates of Pending Litigation, Certificates of Judgment, and Certificates of Commencement of Proceedings

As of April 17, 2020, and for the duration of the suspension of regular operations at the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Certificates of Pending Litigation, Certificates of Judgment, and Certificates of Commencement of Proceedings may be transmitted electronically. Further information may be found here.

Avoid the rush: e-file Notices of Civil Claim using Court Services Online

Even though statutory limitations for commencing civil or family actions, proceedings, claims and appeals are still suspended until further notice, lawyers are encouraged to e-file Notices of Civil Claims using Court Services Online. To access the Court Services Online platform, you will need to be a registered user. If you are not already a registered user, you may register for an account, by visiting BCOnLine and clicking the blue button on the top right-hand side of the web page. By e-filing now, you avoid the risk of long line-ups when the suspension is lifted.