According to a recent news release, the launch is slotted for April 9 and will begin for “all bail hearings from Fredericton and Woodstock.” The program will then expand to the city of Moncton. However, no date was provided.
The release notes “all parties” will appear online during these “centralized virtual bail hearings.” They will be publicly accessible via the Microsoft Teams platform every Thursday, at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Links to each of the “virtual bail rooms” can be found on the provincial court and government websites.
“The intention is to free up physical courtroom space for trials and other matters,” states the release. “By using virtual hearings where appropriate, the initiative will make more efficient use of courtrooms and help reduce pressure in regions with longer wait times.”
Once the program is up and running in the initial locations, Justice and Public Safety will work with the chief judge of the provincial court to extend it to other parts of the province.
New Brunswick Justice Minister and Attorney General Robert McKee called the initiative “part of a broader shift” in how justice is delivered in the province.
“We need to make better use of our time, our courtrooms and our people,” said McKee in a statement. “Moving bail hearings online is a practical, transformational step that will reduce delays, free up space for trials and help build a more modern, efficient justice system for New Brunswickers.”
Accommodations for those lacking the “required technology” will be provided through Court Services, notes the release.
McKee said the move to virtual bail is about “doing things differently.” But aside from the technical aspect, it will be business as usual.
“While the format is new, the law is not. The same legal tests, judicial oversight and protections for accused persons and public safety apply in a virtual bail hearing, just as they do in person.”
In terms of the big picture, this speaks to an ongoing trend in many parts of Canada. To varying degrees, courts across the country have been furthering their use of technology through lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic — a time when many courts turned to virtual technology as a way of staying at least somewhat operational during widespread societal shutdowns.
In April 2025, New Brunswick invested $5 million to kick-start a digital transformation of its court system — part of an overall $32 million being given over six years to revamp the system through various digital upgrades. The technology was to include a new case management system and electronic enhancements to court recordings, video conferencing and the presentation of digital evidence.
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