As we embark on our fourth consecutive week of practicing
litigation under lockdown, the Canadian appellate courts are
adapting quickly to the new remote environment.
Beginning this week, the Ontario Divisional Court will begin
conducting multi-day hearings in front of three-judge panels over
Zoom. The hearings will be open to 500 members of the public and
a recent decision sets out how the hearings will be
conducted.
Taking things one step further, on April 20, 2020 the British
Columbia Court of Appeal announced that it would be conducting all
of its operations with electronic filings and remote hearings. In a
recent Notice to the Public, it was announced that
filings for all matters would be accepted and "parties are
encouraged to advance their appeals if they are able to do
so". Also, beginning May 4, 2020:
