With COVID-19 forcing the global economy to a slow crawl, our
court system is matching the pace, with some exceptions.
On March 27, 2020, the British Columbia provincial government
issued Ministerial Order No. M086, "Limitation Periods
(COVID-19) Order" under the Emergency Program
Act, [R.S.B.C. 1996] c. 111, which suspended limitation
periods for civil or family matters in British Columbia's
Provincial Court, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.
The suspension will stay until the province's state of
emergency, which started on March 18, 2020, is declared over.
Notably, the Order does not stop limitation periods in relation to
matters within the jurisdiction of tribunals or other statutory
bodies (i.e. the Civil Resolution Tribunal, Human Rights Tribunal,
etc.). Instead, it leaves that decision up to each respective
entity's discretion.
