The courts are a pillar of Canada’s democracy, an essential service to Canadians, and a critical support to economic activity. However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, courts were forced to significantly curtail operations in response to physical distancing and other public health and safety requirements.
That is why the Right Honourable Richard Wagner, Chief Justice of Canada and Chairperson of the Canadian Judicial Council, and the Honorable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, established an Action Committee on Court Operations in Response to COVID-19 in May 2020.
The Action Committee provides national leadership to support the work of provincial and territorial governments, individual courts, and court administrators in progressively restoring the full operation of Canada’s courts while ensuring the safety of court users and staff.
As Canadians and their communities emerge from the present crisis and adapt to new realities introduced by COVID-19, the courts will be crucial to a broader national recovery. By providing provincial, territorial, and judicial decision-makers with the best possible health and safety information, the Action Committee supports them in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of court users, while advancing Canadians’ common interest in a safe and accessible justice system.
The Action Committee – Who We Are and What We Do
- Overview of the Action Committee on COVID-19
- A Message From the Action Committee
- Terms of Reference for the Action Committee
- Core Principles and Perspectives
- Contact Us
Action Committee – Progress Report
Protecting the Health and Safety of Court Users and Personnel During the Pandemic
- Message from the Action Committee: Keeping Our Court Environments Safe in the Midst of a Pandemic
- Invitation to a Dialogue to Better Protect Justice System Participants
- Orienting Principles on Safe and Accessible Courts
- Guidance on Protecting Court Personnel and Court Users and General Practices for Cleaning and Disinfecting
- Court Audit Tool: Adapting Small Court Spaces and Identifying Alternative Facilities
- Courtroom Symptom Appearance and Related Situations
- Contact Tracing and the Justice System
- Considerations Pertaining to COVID-19 Testing for Justice System Participants
- Communiqué - The Impact of Vaccination on the Courts
- Impact of Vaccination on Court Operations
Optimizing Jury Processes During and Beyond the Pandemic
- Phases and Steps of a Criminal Jury Trial
- Jury Summons
- Jury Selection
- Jury Arrival and Departure
- In-Trial Criminal Jury Proceedings
- Sequestering, Deliberation and Release of the Jury
- Streamlining Processes for Jury Summons and Selection – A Case Study of New Brunswick
Access to Justice for Marginalized Individuals During and Beyond the Pandemic
- Examining the Disproportionate Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Access to Justice for Marginalized Individuals
- Restoring Court Operations in Northern, Remote and Indigenous Communities
- The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Interpretation and Translation Needs of Court Users
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Access to Specialized Court Programs
- Case Study: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Nova Scotia Wellness Courts
Open Hearings and Access to Court Services During and Beyond the Pandemic
- Virtual Hearings and Services: Tools and Resources for Court Users and Personnel
- Upholding the Open Courts Principle During the COVID-19 Pandemic - A Case Study of the Federal Court
- Virtual Access to Hearings: Privacy, Security and Confidentiality Considerations
- Virtual Access to Hearings: Options and Implementation Scenarios
- Virtual Access to Hearings: Challenges and Solutions in Trial Courts
Reducing Backlog and Delays During and Beyond the Pandemic
- Orienting Principles : Leading and Managing Change in the Courts
- Roadmap To Recovery: Orienting Principles for Reducing Court Backlog and Delays
Newsroom
- Update from the Action Committee on Court Operations in Response to COVID-19 (November 6, 2020)
- New Key Guidance for Resumption of Criminal Jury Trials (July 2, 2020)
- Action Committee on Court Operations in Response to COVID-19 Approves Initial Guidance Documents (May 26, 2020)
- Chief Justice of Canada and Minister of Justice Launch Action Committee on Court Operations in Response to COVID-19 (May 8, 2020)
- Action Committee on Court Operations in Response to COVID-19 played a key role in maintaining safe court operations during the pandemic (July 29, 2021)
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