Ontario Provincial Offences Act proceedings expanding

Law360 Canada (June 18, 2020, 3:45 PM EDT) -- As part of Ontario’s plan to reopen courts, starting July 6 early resolution guilty pleas pursuant to s. 5.1(8) of the Provincial Offences Act (POA) may proceed before a justice of the peace by audio or videoconference in some of the early resolution POA courts in the province.

According to a June 17 Ontario Court of Justice news release, formal early resolution is only available in some jurisdictions across the province where the offence notice (ticket) indicates the option to request an early-resolution meeting with the prosecutor. The decision to offer early resolution is a decision made by municipalities.

The Provincial Offences Act limits the availability of remote proceedings and, as a result, many proceedings are not currently able to proceed remotely.

“If your case is eligible for a remote meeting with a prosecutor,” the release notes, “you or your representative will be notified with the date and time of the meeting.”