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ARTICLE · 11 FEBRUARY 2026

New Rules Of Civil Procedure On The Horizon

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
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It's still a waiting game as Ontario litigators eagerly await the final versions of the Ontario government's anticipated reforms to the current Rules of Civil Procedure (the Rules)...

CanadaLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Sven Poysa
Sven Poysa
Diana Holloway
Diana Holloway
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Key takeaways

  • Major reforms to Ontario's civil litigation system are anticipated some time in 2026.
  • Reforms to include a new three-track system, an "up-front evidence model", more limited discoveries and disclosure obligations and accelerated procedural timelines.
  • Courts are expected to take a much more active role in case management.

It's still a waiting game as Ontario litigators eagerly await the final versions of the Ontario government's anticipated reforms to the current Rules of Civil Procedure (the Rules), but one thing is already clear: significant changes to Ontario's civil litigation process are in the cards for 2026.

The Civil Rules Review (the CRR) was launched in January 2024 with a mandate to propose sweeping reforms to the Rules. In April 2025, the CRR published a consultation report setting out their proposals and seeking stakeholders' feedback, which Osler covered in a previous Update. Most recently, after receiving and carefully

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