News update

The Ministry of the Attorney General has expanded the Civil Claims Online system to allow more documents to be filed online. While filings will be accepted through the online system, until normal operations resume, only those matters that are scheduled by the judiciary for an urgent hearing will proceed. Court services will be available for urgent hearings and service will be limited for non-urgent matters.

The LSO Corporate statement regarding COVID 19, including Practice Management FAQs (for Licensees); Licensing & Accreditation Information (for Candidates) and LSO Business Operations FAQs can be found here.

This evening the OBA received the following update from Chief Justice Maisonneuve.

We wanted to let you know that the Lieutenant Governor in Council made an order under s. 7.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act suspending limitation periods and procedural time periods. The suspension is retroactive to March 16, 2020.

The following changes have been advised by Tarion

Entities regulated by FSRA should self-assess what core functions should be prioritized during this period of disruption. Your FSRA contact is available to respond to any questions, comments or concerns you may have on how to respond appropriately to these circumstances and should be informed if you experience, or expect to experience, disruption to any of your critical functionality.

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) will provide temporary relief from some regulatory filings required to be made on or before June 1, 2020.

Please note that as a result of COVID-19 the Law Society of Ontario has provided pertinent information lawyers should consider when identifying and verifying client identity and whether this can be done remotely and/or virtually. Chief is for lawyers to consider whether they are identifying or verifying a client’s identity.

Please note that as a result of COVID-19 the Law Society of Ontario will interpret the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act as not requiring the lawyer to be in the physical presence of the client. It is still important that lawyers commissioning an affidavit remotely manage the risks appropriately. This includes taking appropriate measures to guard against fraud; identity theft; undue influence; duress; capacity; the ability of the client to retain a copy of the commissioned affidavit and ensuring that the client does not feel that they did not have an adequate opportunity to ask questions or request clarifying information about the documents they have executed.

As a result of this declaration and its associated orders, a number of establishments are legally required to close immediately. Further, all organized public events of over fifty people are also prohibited, including parades and events and communal services within places of worship. These orders were approved by the Lieutenant Governor in Council and will remain in place until March 31, 2020, at which point they will be reassessed and considered for extension, unless this order is terminated earlier.