by George Roy | Aug 6, 2020 | COVID-19, Notices, Provincial Court
Notice – COVID-19 Suspension and Re-Opening of Additional Courts (July 30, 2020)
The Provincial Court is continuing to reopen court proceedings on a staged and incremental basis. In August, court sittings will resume in Grand Rapids, Sandy Bay/Amaranth, Emerson, Camperville and Roblin. Other communities are either still suspended or taking place in Winnipeg via teleconference as detailed in the notice.
An attached notice of cleaning and proper health procedures is included.
Notice – Child Protection Hearings (July 30, 2020)
Further to previous court notices the child protection dockets will continue to sit in the court centres for the month of August, 2020, with the exception of Steinbach, Beausejour, Pine Falls, Peguis First Nation, Emerson. The child protection dockets set for August in Portage La Prairie, Dauphin, Thompson, Emerson, Beausejour, Pine Falls and Peguis First Nation will take place in those communities.
For all court notices regarding disruptions caused by COVID-19 see here or for Provincial Court notices and directions click here.
by George Roy | Jun 26, 2020 | Court of Queen's Bench, COVID-19, Notices, Notices, Provincial Court
Provincial Court of Manitoba – Re: Child Protection Hearings
This notice is in continuation of the notice of May 13, 2020 advising that child protection dockets will continue to sit in the court centres for the month of July, 2020, with the EXCEPTION of Steinbach, Beausejour, Pine Falls and Peguis First Nation. A list of child protection dockets sitting in court centres is included.
Provincial Court of Manitoba – Re: Covid-19 Suspension and Re-Opening Of Additional Courts
Further to the notice of May 15, 2020 additional court sittings will resume in Peguis First Nation, Pine Falls, Virden, Rossburn and Russell, only being open to those necessary to court proceedings. Those that do come to court are being asked to respect health protocols and refrain from coming if they are exhibiting any symptoms.
Other circuit courts which have not been re-opened as described in this notice will not sit
during July. All matters on those dockets will be further suspended and administratively
adjourned to the next court date set for that community.
Case management conferences will continue as scheduled and may be conducted by teleconference.
Court of Queen’s Bench Manitoba -Re: Scheduling Protocols for Family Division Motions and Case Conferences Via Teleconference or Video Conference
This Notice to Profession changes the Notice issued by this Court on April 28, 2020. This notice details protocols for videoconferencing. Motions will continue to be scheduled in a courtroom and will be heard via teleconference, with the judge’s assistant arranging the teleconference and notifying counsel. Effective immediately, counsel has the obligation to arrange a teleconference or a video conference for a case conference where both parties are represented by counsel. Protocols for motions and scheduling case conferences are provided.
by George Roy | Jun 1, 2020 | COVID-19, Notices, Provincial Court
The following notices have been posted by the Provincial court relating to COVID-19:
Notice – Provincial Offences Act proceedings – Update May 19th – Further to the notices of March 16, 2020 and April 15,2020, the Court Office at 373 Broadway will remain closed to the public until July 6, 2020. There will be limited resumptions of services as well as options for remote dealings. Options for dealing with tickets are provided.
Notice – Teleconference Availability in Provincial Court courtrooms (May 26, 2020) – “Further to the notice issued by the Provincial Court on March 23, 2020. The purpose of this practice notice is to reduce the number of people who are attending to the courthouse, including legal counsel.” Instructions for teleconferences are detailed.
Notice – Pre-Trial Coordinator Timelines (May 28, 2020) – “The timelines as set out in the PTC Protocol will continue to apply but the period of time the out of custody dockets and trials were suspended due to COVID-19 will be deducted from the timeline calculation.” “The PTCs may also entertain longer remands within the timelines in order to prevent unnecessary appearances in Court while COVID-19 restrictions are in place.”
Notice – Update to the Judges and Judicial Justice of the Peace Weekend Bail Courts (May 28, 2020) – “Further to the Court’s Notices of April 9, 2020 and May 6, 2020, the weekend Judge’s dockets will be discontinued and therefore no longer sitting effective June 6, 2020.”
For all court notices regarding disruptions caused by COVID-19 see here.
The Provincial Court has also posted a notice regarding Scheduling of Criminal Code Dispositions – “On June 1, 2020, the Provincial Court Disposition Coordinator will assume the scheduling of all Criminal Code dispositions in Winnipeg” “The process currently used to set dispositions with the disposition coordinators will apply to these disposition courts.”
To stay up to date on all Provincial Court notices and directions please see here.
by George Roy | May 20, 2020 | COVID-19, Notices, Provincial Court
The Provincial Court of Manitoba has posted a new notice to the profession here which states that “the Provincial Court of Manitoba will reopen court proceedings on a staged and incremental basis beginning June 1, 2020”
There will still be limitations and restrictions in place, detailed in an attached notice with safety and cleaning procedures.
Out-of-custody matters will begin to be heard in the six major court centres, Brandon, Dauphin, Portage la Prairie, The Pas, Thompson and Winnipeg.
As of May 19, those dealing with Provincial Offences Act ticket offences may deal with guilty pleas with an explanation by teleconference.
Additionally, “The circuit courts which require the court party to fly into the community will not sit during June” and “All other circuit court locations throughout Manitoba are further suspended for the month of June.”
Finally, “Case management conferences will continue as scheduled and may be conducted by teleconference.”
For full details please the entire notice here, or visit the Manitoba Courts COVID-19 notices here
by George Roy | Apr 16, 2020 | Access to Justice, Court of Appeal, Court of Queen's Bench, Notices, Notices, Provincial Court
A new notice to the profession has been posted from all three courts detailing further restriction of access to the courthouses. This notice will limit the number of support persons to two per accused or victim.
It also reminds counsel to respect social distancing and maintaining a two meter gap.
To see the whole notice, please click here.
by Allyssa McFadyen | Aug 1, 2019 | Access to Justice, Notices, Provincial Court
There is a general presumption, based on principles of access to justice, matters will be heard in the community in which the incident is alleged to have occurred. It is in the public interest to have matters heard in the community or the closest judicial centre so that members of the affected community can participate fully in the proceedings and see that justice is done.
There may be extenuating circumstances where the above principles should not apply. If that is the case and counsel are seeking to have any matter heard in a judicial centre other than the judicial centre closest to where the incident is alleged to have occurred, counsel shall bring an application before the presiding judge, in the originating judicial centre in which the incident is alleged to have occurred, requesting the matter be transferred to another judicial court centre.
This protocol applies to all jurisdictions and all matters and is effective immediately.
The original signed by Chief Judge Margaret Wiebe on July 25, 2019.
Great LEXpectations RSS Feed