Ontario Courts COVID-19 Update

Ontario Courts  are gradually resuming in-person proceedings after months of closures and electronic communications. The province states that new COVID-19 measures in provincial courts will ensure safety of staff and visitors, as of July 6, 2020.

To start, 149 courtrooms in both the Superior and Ontario Courts of Justice are reopening in 44 locations. Additional courtrooms will open by September with the remaining opening by November 1, 2020. To help maintain physical distancing, plexiglass barriers are being installed in courtrooms, interview rooms, intake offices and at public counters. Everyone who visits a courthouse will be required to wear a face covering and will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms.

Prior to these new developments, the pandemic has limited in-person court appearances to urgent matters such as child protection proceedings and restraining orders. For other matters, the Superior and Ontario Courts of Justice have facilitated over 21,000 calls to hear matters remotely, using video and teleconferencing since March 16, 2020.

More information on the health measures in place in the courts can be found here.