Ontario Superior Court of Justice

On December 14, 2023, Ontario Regulation 388/23 was filed to amend the court rules and forms for estate court proceedings in the Superior Court of Justice.

On December 11, 2023, Ontario Regulation 383/23 was filed to amend the court rules for civil court proceedings.

Effective November 27, 2023

Changes to Rule 1.1: Electronic Filing and Issuance of Documents and Rule 9: Continuing Record regarding electronic court records.

Change to Rule 20.2: Expert Opinion Evidence, adding a sanction for the late service or filing of expert reports, opinions, or other expert documents. Accompanying changes to subrules 3(5) and 3(6).

Minor changes to Forms 14C, 17A, 17C, 17D, 17E, and 17F.

On October 19, 2023, the Honourable Geoffrey Morawetz, Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Justice, announced the immediate winddown of the One Judge Model Provincial Civil Case Management Pilot, citing a low level of interest and uptake. Previously admitted cases will continue under the terms of the pilot unless the court orders otherwise.

On July 31, 2023, The Ministry of the Attorney announced that it will be releasing additional enhancements to its Justice Services Online (JSO) platform. The following enhancements will be deployed on August 21, 2023:

In an effort to reduce delay and increase efficiency, the following changes (some of which were suggested at the OBA Bail the Boat sessions) will apply to the scheduling of select civil appearances in the Toronto region:

Chief Justice Morawetz has announced potential expansion of the Binding Judicial Dispute Resolution Pilot Project (Binding JDR) and changes to the Practice Advisory, effective August 1, 2023.

Quick tips for using CaseLines in Superior Court of Justice cases are available at:https://www.ontariocourts.ca/scj/caselines/quick-tips/

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has updated the Civil, Family, Criminal Provincial Consolidated Practice Directions, the Toronto Commercial List Practice Direction, and the Consolidated Divisional Court Practice Direction. These Practice Directions will come into effect on June 15, 2023, and be posted on the Court’s website.

This is a pivotal time for all participants in the justice sector, as we adapt to the changes the rapid onboarding of technology and virtual appearances bring to the way we work with other legal practitioners, clients, and, most significantly, the courts.