Mask Use and Court Reopening in Manitoba Courts

A new notice from all court levels has been issued stating that “mask use will no longer be required in court facilities effective Monday, May 16, 2022. Masks may continue to be worn, unless requested otherwise by a presiding judge in the context of a hearing.

Unlimited access to the courts by members of the public will resume on Monday, June
27th, at which time there will no longer be any COVID-19 related restrictions in place.”

See the full notice here and previous COVID-19 related notices on the courts website.

Resumption of JJP Dockets – New Notice

April 19, 2022 – Resumption of Judicial Justice of the Peace Dockets in the communities of Cross Lake, God’s Lake Narrows, Nelson House, Norway House, Oxford House, Shamattawa, and Split Lake

“Effective May 2, 2022, Judicial Justice of the Peace (JJP) dockets will resume sitting in person in the communities of Cross Lake, Gods Lake Narrows, Nelson House, Norway House, Oxford House, Shamattawa, and Split Lake.

In order to minimize the number of people attending court in person at one time, going forward, the JJP dockets will be divided alphabetically into morning and afternoon sittings.

Persons attending court prior to their designated time will be directed not to enter or remain in the vicinity of the court facility and will be instructed to return for their court appearance at the assigned time.”

See the full notice including designated sitting times here

For all Provincial Court COVID-19 notices click here

Courthouse Closures – April 13 & 14

Due to the forecasted blizzard conditions, preparations are being made for potential court closures throughout Manitoba for all three levels of court on April 13 and 14.

Updates will be posted here.

Should the Courts be closed on these dates, the Great Library will also be closed. We will be working remotely and can still be reached at library@lawsociety.mb.ca.

New Scheduling Model for Adult Criminal Matters in Thompson Court Centre

April 4, 2022 – Adult Criminal Matters in Thompson Court Centre

“Further to our meetings with the Thompson Bar and other Justice Stakeholders, as of April 4, 2022, the new scheduling model for the Administration of Adult Criminal matters in Thompson Court Centre takes effect. This Notice does not apply to the Thompson circuit locations. The new scheduling model has been created to increase the efficiency and timeliness of moving matters through the court system.

Links to the documents which have been shared and discussed in advance with the Thompson bar and other stakeholders, are provided below:

Thompson Pre Trial Coordinator Protocol;
Thompson Courtroom Designation Schedule
Thompson CM flowcharts (pdf)

Please ensure you are familiar with these documents.”

See the full notice for more details.

All Provincial Court notices are available on the Manitoba Courts website.

Provincial Court Notice: Resumption of sittings and special sittings

February 18, 2022 – Provincial Court of Manitoba will begin resuming all regularly scheduled sittings and special sittings effective Monday, February 28, 2022.

“The Court will resume all regularly scheduled sittings and all previously scheduled special sittings in all locations and will resume hearing all matters including trials, preliminary inquiries, dispositions and bail applications in all court centres and circuit locations, subject to specific localized closures. Judicial Justice of the Peace dockets in Thompson circuit locations will continue to be held remotely until further notice.”

“Unless counsel is already appearing on a matter requiring a personal appearance, the presumption that counsel and accused persons will appear remotely continues to apply to all other matters where nothing substantive is expected to take place.”

“The Provincial Court of Manitoba remains closed to members of the general public.”

See the full notice for more details.

All Provincial Court COVID related notices are available on the Manitoba Courts website.

New Notices: Stony Mountain Institution Charges

Notice – Stony Mountain Institution Charges (February 10, 2022)

“Effective immediately, all criminal charges originating from Stony Mountain Institution will be dealt with in Winnipeg and will no longer appear on the Stonewall Provincial Court docket. This change reflects the public interest in ensuring matters requiring a heightened level of security are heard in the most appropriate court venue. This Notice applies to all appearances including trials, preliminary hearings and dispositions.”

Additional protocols and information are available in the notice.

All Provincial Court news and announcements are available here.

The Great Library will be closed from December 25, 2024 to January 1, 2025 for the winter holidays. Regular office hours will resume on Thursday, January 2, 2025.