Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of British Columbia is the province's superior trial court. The Supreme Court is a court of general and inherent jurisdiction which means that it can hear any type of case, civil or criminal. It hears most appeals from the Provincial Court in civil and criminal cases and appeals from arbitrations. A party may appeal a decision of the Supreme Court to the Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 443, provides for a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, an Associate Chief Justice, and 95 other judges. The legislation also provides for supernumerary judges who sit hearing cases part-time. There are also 13 Supreme Court associate judges who hear and dispose of a wide variety of applications in chambers. The Supreme Court also has a Registrar who hears assessments relating to bills of costs, reviews lawyers' accounts, settles orders, references of various types and deals with bankruptcy discharge applications.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
March 4, 2024
CRIMINAL PRACTICE DIRECTION 1 (CPD-1) - CRIMINAL PRE-TRIAL CONFERENCE PROCESS
Associate Chief Justice Holmes has amended paragraph 8 of Criminal Practice Direction 1 (CPD-1). CPD-1 now requires that a pre-trial conference for all sexual offences take place at least four months before the scheduled trial. The updated version of CPD-1 can be found here.
February 28, 2024
JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS - JUSTICE SANDRA M. SUKSTORF, JUSTICE CHRISTOPHER W. GREENWOOD, JUSTICE MAEGEN M. GILTROW, JUSTICE KARRIE A. WOLFE AND JUSTICE Y. LILIANE BANTOURAKIS
The Supreme Court of British Columbia welcomes the appointment of the Honourable Justice Sandra M. Sukstorf to Port Coquitlam, the Honourable Justice Christopher W. Greenwood and the Honourable Justice Maegen M. Giltrow to Vancouver, the Honourable Justice Karrie A. Wolfe to Victoria and the Honourable Justice Y. Liliane Bantourakis to New Westminster. For more information on the Court’s newest justices, please see the press release issued by the Department of Justice. Public welcoming ceremonies for the new justices will be scheduled and information about the welcoming ceremonies will be posted on the court’s website in due course.
February 28, 2024
JUDICIAL TRANSFER
The Supreme Court of British Columbia announces the transfer of Justice Bruce Elwood to Vancouver from New Westminster as of February 28, 2024.
February 12, 2024
SUPREME COURT ASSOCIATE JUDGE APPOINTMENT
The Supreme Court of British Columbia welcomes the appointment of Associate Judge Lawrence Robinson in Vancouver. For more information about Associate Judge Robinson, please see the news release issued by the Attorney General of British Columbia. A public welcoming ceremony for Associate Judge Robinson will be held on a date to be scheduled, and information about the welcoming ceremony will be posted on the Court’s website once it is available.
February 5, 2024
UPDATE: ONLINE BOOKING FOR CIVIL AND FAMILY MATTERS
Since 2020, counsel and parties have had the option of booking Case Planning Conferences, Judicial Case Conferences, and Trial Management Conferences through the Supreme Court’s online booking system. Beginning in fall 2024, the Court will be transitioning to a fully online booking system for these types of conferences, as well as for trials and lengthy chambers hearings in civil and family matters. Chief Justice Hinkson has issued a notice regarding the transition to online booking for civil and family matters.
February 1, 2024
REVISIONS TO ADMINISTRATIVE NOTICE 12 - BANKRUPTCY HEARINGS BEFORE A REGISTRAR IN BANKRUPTCY
Chief Justice Hinkson has revised Administrative Notice 12 - Bankruptcy Hearings Before a Registrar in Bankruptcy. This Administrative Notice sets out the process to be followed to schedule hearings before a Registrar in Bankruptcy, the default methods of appearance, and how to submit materials. Please note that bankruptcy hearings are, by default, held in person in Vancouver, New Westminster, Victoria, Nanaimo, Kamloops and Kelowna. Bankruptcy hearings are, by default, held remotely for Prince George, Prince Rupert, Nelson and Vernon.
January 30, 2024
CHIEF JUSTICE HINKSON ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
Chief Justice Hinkson has announced that he will be retiring from the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia effective May 7, 2024.
January 22, 2024
CRIMINAL PRACTICE DIRECTION 7 (CPD-7) - PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATIONS TO VARY OR REVOKE A PUBLICATION BAN UNDER s. 486.51 OF THE CRIMINAL CODE
Associate Chief Justice Holmes has issued Criminal Practice Direction 7 (CPD-7), which sets out the general procedure for applying under s. 486.51 of the Criminal Code to vary or revoke a publication ban made under s. 486.4 or 486.5 of the Code. A practice direction that is substantively identical to this one is being issued in the Provincial Court. CPD-7 can be found here.
January 16, 2024
NOTICE TO THE PROFESSION, THE PUBLIC AND THE MEDIA REGARDING CIVIL AND FAMILY PROCEEDINGS - RENAMING OF THE MASTERS CHAMBERS PILOT PROJECT AND EXPANSION TO VANCOUVER
Amendments to the Supreme Court Act to change the title of master to associate judge were brought into force on January 15, 2024. The Masters Chambers Pilot Project has accordingly been renamed the
Associate Judges Chambers Pilot Project.
As set out in the Associate Judges Chambers Pilot Project Notice, the Associate Judges Chambers Pilot Project, which allows for electronic filing of chambers application records in PDF format through Court Services Online, will be expanded to Vancouver on Monday, January 29, 2024.
The Project was initially available for applications scheduled for 30 minutes or less in masters chambers at court locations on Vancouver Island (Campbell River, Courtenay, Duncan, Nanaimo, Port Alberni
, and Victoria) and in Powell River. The Project expanded to include court locations in the interior region (Cranbrook, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nelson, Penticton, Rossland, Salmon Arm and Vernon) on June 19,
2023, to court locations in the northern region (Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Prince George, Quesnel, Smithers and Terrace) on October 23, 2023, and to court locations in Abbotsford, Chilliwack and New
Westminster on December 4, 2023. The Project is now being expanded to applications scheduled for 30 minutes or less in associate judges chambers in Vancouver, commencing January 29, 2024.
Detailed instructions about working with PDFs can be found here.
COVID-19 NOTICES
September 17, 2021
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 44 - USE OF THE FILE TRANSFER SERVER - INSOLVENCY AND OTHER PROCEEDINGS
COVID-19 Notice No. 44 has been revised to indicate that the Court may direct parties to use the File Transfer Server (FTS) in any kind of proceeding. Parties in insolvency proceedings only can request use of FTS.
In all proceedings, parties using the FTS must adhere to the document formatting standards set out in COVID-19 Notice No. 44.
March 27, 2020
COVID-19 NOTICE NO. 2 - NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC REGARDING AFFIDAVITS FOR USE IN COURT PROCEEDINGS
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Court of Appeal for British Columbia, the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and the Provincial Court of British Columbia will make accommodations for the commissioning of affidavits in circumstances where it is not possible or is medically unsafe for the deponent to attend before a commissioner. All three levels of court will follow the same process, set out in the directives linked below:
Court of Appeal for British Columbia
Supreme Court of British Columbia
Provincial Court of British Columbia
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