Ontario Court of Justice - North West Region

The OCJ has updated its Bail Protocol (introduced in May 2020). These revisions serve to clarify and reinforce the Protocol’s objectives of ensuring that bail proceedings are conducted justly and efficiently. For more information, please see the Protocol.

The OCJ will adjourn all family and Child, Youth, and Family Services Act trials (including in-person, hybrid, and remote trials) scheduled between April 26 to May 7, 2021. Counsel and parties should not attend Court for these types of trials during this period. The Court is committed to facilitating proceedings by remote technology where possible, unless an in-person hearing is required to ensure meaningful access to justice. For more information please see the Notice.

The Ministry of the Attorney General has announced that it will establish a threshold limit for small estates in order to simplify the probate process for such estates, as per the Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, 2020. Beginning on April 1, 2021, Ontario will set the limit for a small estate at $150,000 and will remove the requirement to post bond in most small estate probate applications. For more information, please see this News Release

The Red Lake Courthouse (located at 115 Howey Street) has been approved to resume in-person operations effective February 8, 2021. MAG has approved the courthouse for in-person proceedings based on its readiness verification process and site assessment.

LAO will double compensation for bail hearings for block fee and tariff matters in recognition of longer bail hearings. 

The OCJ has revised its May 19th Notice to Counsel/Paralegals and the Public regarding Provincial Offences Act matters in the OCJ. Beginning on January 25, 2021: Unless otherwise ordered by the Regional Senior Justice of the Peace or the presiding Justice of the Peace, remote appearances will continue to be the presumption. For more information, please see the Notice.

In lights of the Ontario government’s new emergency orders, the OCJ has revised the COVID-19: Scheduling of Family Law Matters at the Ontario Court of Justice. The new Scheduling of Family Law Matters directive eliminates the reference to certain appearances being presumptively in person and waives the requirement to file sworn documents, beyond unsworn affidavits of service. Electronically signed documents are acceptable for filing.

With the government’s December 21, 2020 COVID-19 announcement, the Court recognizes that some counsel, parties, and justice participants may be unable to attend a courthouse in person.

On December 8, 2020, a regulation was filed to amend the Rules of Civil Procedure, O. Reg. 711-20. The regulation makes administrative amendments to align the Rules of Civil Procedure with legislative amendments that were introduced to remove the office of a traditional master.

The Daily Court Lists website publishes the daily court lists for both the OCJ and SCJ. This website provides information about case names, as well as the time, location, and reasons for court appearances. As of December 7, 2020, two changes have been made to this website