Provincial Court Notices – Rescheduling

The Provincial Court has provided the following four new notices regarding the rescheduling of court matters due to the continuing Code Red designation. Click each notice for full text and details.

Notice – Rescheduling of Circuit Court Sittings due to COVID-19 (December 11, 2020) 

Notice – Rescheduling of Adult and Youth Out of Custody Matters due to COVID-19 (Regional Centres) (December 11, 2020) 

Notice – Rescheduling of Adult and Youth Out of Custody Matters due to COVID-19 (Winnipeg Centre) (December 11, 2020)

Notice – Rescheduling of Circuit Court Sittings due to COVID-19 (December 11, 2020)


See here for all COVID-19 related court notices and directives

New Provincial Court Notices

Notice – COVID-19 – Suspension and Restriction of Hearings (November 30, 2020) – This notice is in furtherance to the November 10th notice. “All circuit court sittings throughout Manitoba will remain cancelled until January 4, 2021 or until further notice”

December 1, 2020 – Counter Court (Winnipeg) – “Beginning in January 2021, the Provincial Court will move to a Counter Court model in Winnipeg for all out of custody administrative courts, currently called PTC (Pre-Trial Coordinator) courts.”

“The Counter Court model will improve access to justice and efficiency in the following ways:

  • One on one interaction for an accused person with the Staff Justice of the Peace
  • An expanded time to attend and less waiting time to have your matter addressed
  • There will be more than one Staff Justice of the Peace at the Counter so matters can be spoken to more quickly
  • Persons will not have to wait until all of Counsel’s matters have been addressed before they can have their matter addressed by the Court

Notice – Rescheduling of Adult and Youth out of Custody Matters due to COVID-19 (Winnipeg Centre)  (December 2, 2020) – “This Notice addresses matters currently scheduled for December 14 – 31, 2020, which  will be adjourned to February 2021 dates.”

Notice – Rescheduling of Circuit Court Sittings due to COVID-10 (December 4, 2020) – “Further to the Notice of November 30 2020, suspending court with respect to all circuit  court sittings, the following date changes apply to those circuit courts listed below where  matters were scheduled between December 14, 2020 to December 31, 2020. All other  circuit court sittings, adjourned by the Notice of November 30, 2020 beyond  December 31, 2020 remain as adjourned by that Notice to the dates contained in that  Notice.”

Notice – Rescheduling of Adult and Youth out of Custody Matters due to COVID-19 (Regional Centres) (December 4, 2020) – “All matters adjourned as per previous Notices to dates after January 4, 2021 (see Notice  dated November 10, 2020 and Notice dated November 16, 2020) are expected to proceed  on those January dates.  This Notice addresses matters currently scheduled for December 14 – 31, 2020, which  will be adjourned to January and February 2021 dates.”

New Provincial Court Notices

Notice – Service of Child Protection Proceedings on Persons in Custody during Pandemic Restrictions (November 18, 2020)
“Prior to the pandemic, a process server might attend the institution to effect personal service. However with Code Red restrictions and the elimination or restriction of visitors to the Correctional Centre, this method of service is not possible.” The notice gives new options and contact information for correctional centres.

Notice – Circuit Court Sitting Replacement Dates Due to COVID-19 (November 18, 2020)
“Further to the Notice of November 10, 2020, suspending court with respect to all circuit court sittings, the following dates reflect the date the circuit should have sat within the suspended period and the date the circuit has been administratively adjourned to.”

Practice Directive – Video Appearances for Trials and Preliminary Hearings in the Provincial Court of Manitoba (November 17, 2020) – “…the Court has developed this Practice Directive to accommodate the remote attendance of a participant at trial or preliminary hearing by video, where appropriate, while maintaining the integrity of the hearing process.” The process for requesting an accused or in custody witness appear by video is provided.

Provincial Court rescheduling custody matters

“Further to the Notice of November 10, 2020, suspending court with respect to all adult and youth out of custody matters, the following date changes apply…”

See the full notices for locations and dates.

Regional Centres: Notice – COVID -19 – Rescheduling Adult and Youth Out of Custody Matters -Regional Centres  (November 16, 2020)

Winnipeg Centre: Notice – COVID – 19 – Rescheduling Adult and Youth Out of Custody Matters (November 13, 2020)

Court Suspensions and Restrictions

With regards to the new government measures regarding COVID-19, the Provinical Court and Court of Queen’s Bench have released new notices.

Notice – COVID -19 – Suspension and Restriction of Hearings (November 10, 2020) – “The Provincial Court of Manitoba is once again reducing court operations while continuing to ensure meaningful access to those with urgent matters. Effective Thursday, November 12, 2020, all remaining circuit court sittings throughout Manitoba are cancelled until and including December 11, 2020 or until further notice.” See the notice for more details on in custody, out of custody, child protection, and other court matters.


Notice – Adjustments to Current Scheduling Protocols – November 16 to December 11, 2020 – “With the exception of those judge-alone criminal trials involving accused persons who are in custody, all currently scheduled trials set to proceed between Monday, November 16, 2020 and Friday, December 11, 2020, will be adjourned to administrative lists for rescheduling.”

  • For Family Division matters, those adjourned trials will be appearing on administrative lists set down for Thursday, December 10, 2020.
  • For General Division matters, those adjourned trials will be appearing on administrative lists set down for Friday, December 11, 2020

“All other judicial services currently being offered by the Court of Queen’s Bench by video or audio conference in the areas of criminal, civil, family, and child protection will continue as before, unchanged.”

Masters’ Court – COVID-19 Update (November 12, 2020) – “Due to the entire Province of Manitoba being moved to the critical level (red), effective Thursday, November 12, 2020, the Maintenance Enforcement dockets in Brandon, Dauphin, Portage la Prairie, Morden, The Pas and Thompson will be suspended effective Friday, November 13, 2020, until further notice.”


For a list of all notices and practice directions related to COVID-19 visit manitobacourts.mb.ca/covid-19/.

New Court Notices in response to Winnipeg’s new Code Red Designation

All three levels of court have released notices regarding new measures due to the new spread of cases in Winnipeg.

Notice – All Hearings of the Court of Appeal will be conducted remotely until further Notice (November 2, 2020) – starting on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 all appeals will be heard remotely by videoconferencing; and all motions or applications will be heard remotely by teleconferencing. Instructions for accessing teleconference and videoconference are included.

Additionally, “precautions will be put in place by Sheriff Services, which includes enhanced COVID screening questions and temperature screening for all members of the public and court stakeholders, including counsel,upon entry to the Law Courts Building.”

Notice – Additional Measures in respect of attendance at the Law Courts Complex (November 2, 2020) – Details and clarifies the measures that the Queen’s Bench has been taking to reduce transmission of COVID. Also explains the additional measures by Sheriff Services upon entering the Law Courts Buildings.

Notice – COVID-19 – Update (November 2, 2020) – Explains new precautions by Sheriff Services. “will continue to hear both in custody and out of custody matters in all of the major court centres and the circuits which remain open. All existing protocols remain in force.” It will also be reassessing protocols on a weekly basis.


For a list of all notices and practice directions related to COVID-19 visit manitobacourts.mb.ca/covid-19/.