Up-to-date Sector Information

Effective October 13, 2020, the Ontario government will be discontinuing land registration counter services at all 54 Land Registry Offices (LROs). This means that October 9, 2020 is the last day LROs will be open to the public. Land Registry staff will continue to provide customer service support, document certification and processing work across the province.

The Ministry of the Attorney General has advised that it is now satisfied that all of the necessary health and safety measures are in place in the Guelph courthouses to allow in-person proceedings to resume. As a result, the Ontario Court of Justice will resume hearing in-person criminal trials and preliminary inquiries, and in-person family trials, summary judgment motions and other in-person family matters in the Guelph courthouses on July 7, 2020.

This additional resource has been created with our staff in mind to provide information and guidance in preparation for the resumption of in-person court operations.

The OBA wrote to the Ministry of the Attorney General’s Recovery Secretariat to advocate for safety, transparency, effective communication to the profession and the public about what to expect and how to prepare for court attendance, as well as the need for a system of rapid identification, communication and response if health and safety, procedural or other concerns arise. We continue to offer and provide support for alternatives to in-person proceedings as well.

Further to the Superior Court of Justice’s Notice to the Profession of June 25, 2020, the following regions have now released new or updated Notices in anticipation of the July 6, 2020 Phase 1 reopening:

Premier Doug Ford announced on Monday that the government will implement a moratorium on commercial evictions between June 3 and Aug. 31 for small businesses that qualify for the federal government’s Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program.

On Monday, the Government of Ontario announced that it is moving forward with a regional approach to the Stage 2 reopening of the province beginning this Friday at 12:01 a.m. Most regions will see changes and easing of restrictions

This updated guidebook replaces earlier versions you may have previously reviewed. It now contains updated information about face coverings and PPE, the provision of gloves, enforcement and monitoring and our court entry screening tool.

The Action Committee on Court Operations in Response to COVID-19 recently held its second meeting to confirm the Action Committee's approach and priorities in offering national guidance to chief justices, judges and courts administration officials as decision are taken around the gradual resumption of court operations across Canada.

Today, the Government of Ontario passed legislative amendments in the COVID-19 Response and Reforms to Modernize Ontario Act, 2020 that will provide relief and flexibility to different types of corporations and businesses in Ontario, as a result of the declared emergency. These legislative amendments will enable Ontario businesses and corporations to call and hold virtual meetings, defer annual meetings in some circumstances, utilize electronic signatures, and file documents electronically. It will also allow the use of electronic chattels under the PPSA. The OBA has advocated for the Ontario Government to make many of these changes as in response to the challenges presented by COVID-19 and as part of our ongoing business modernization efforts.