NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The Government of Ontario has enacted a declaration of a provincial emergency in relation to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and as result, the Ontario Court of Justice has made the following changes to all child protection proceedings. Please continue to check the Ontario Court of Justice website for any updates at http://www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj.

NON-URGENT MATTERS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE ADJOURNED

If you have a non-urgent family matter scheduled in the Ontario Court of Justice between Friday, March 20, 2020 and Friday, May 29, 2020, do not attend court; your matter will automatically be adjourned 8-12 weeks and you will be sent an Adjournment Notice from the Court at the address indicated on the pleadings. Should your address change, please contact your assigned worker immediately.

URGENT MATTERS ONLY

The Court remains open for urgent matters only that will proceed on a prioritized basis via teleconference.  Urgent matters include: Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017: place of safety hearings (s. 90); temporary care and custody hearings (s. 94), restraining orders (s. 137), status review hearings (s. 113), and secure treatment orders (s. 161).

For urgent matters, you do not need to (and should not) come to court on the date of the hearing so long as you have a telephone and can participate via telephone.  Please provide the telephone number where the Court can reach you to your assigned worker to participate in the teleconference. 

LEGAL AID AND DUTY COUNSEL

Please notify your assigned worker as soon as possible if you consent to your court documentation being sent via email to duty counsel at Legal Aid Ontario prior to your scheduled teleconference.

Legal Aid Ontario is continuing to provide help, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST) Monday to Friday: