Ontario Court of Appeal provides amended practice direction on remote proceedings

Law360 Canada (July 14, 2020, 3:40 PM EDT) -- The Ontario Court of Appeal will continue to operate in electronic formats only as it approaches its fourth month of suspended in-person proceedings.

“No in-person hearings will be conducted during the COVID-19 emergency,” according to an amended practice direction issued July 13 and signed by Chief Justice George Strathy.

“All documents that are required for the hearing of any matter are to be filed in electronic format only,” the practice direction stipulates.

Much of the amended direction provides specific instructions on electronic filing, in accordance with the Guidelines for Filing Electronic Documents at the Court of Appeal of Ontario.

Instructions regarding remote appearances are available on the Court of Appeal’s website under the banner “Practice Directions and Notices regarding COVID-19” and at www.ontariocourts.ca/coa/en/notices/covid-19/.