Q&A — Supreme Court

BC Supreme Court has lifted many of the in-court measures that were put in place to control the spread of COVID-19 at courthouses.

At courthouses across the province, you can expect the following:

• No health screening when you enter the courthouse.
• No masks required in public areas of the courthouse, but you can wear one if you want to.  
• Masks are available in all courthouses and courtrooms.
• The presiding judge, master, or registrar decides whether people need to wear masks in a courtroom.
• No limit to the number of people in courthouses and in courtrooms.
• Physical distancing isn't required, except at criminal jury selections and criminal jury trials.
• You can’t bring your own water into the courtroom. Water will be supplied.

If it is impossible or medically unsafe for you to go to a commissioner for taking affidavits, a lawyer, or the courthouse to swear or affirm an affidavit., you may use the following procedure using video technology (such as that on a cell phone or computer).

You must follow this process exactly.

1. Put this paragraph at the end of the body of the affidavit:
   The deponent was not physically present before the commissioner, but was linked with the commissioner using video technology and the correct process for remote commissioning of affidavits was used.
2. Email the affidavit to the commissioner.
3. While connected through video technology, show the commissioner the front and back of your current government-issued photo ID. (The commissioner compares the video image of you with the ID to make sure it’s you and that your ID is valid. The commissioner takes screenshots of the front and back of your ID.)
4. You and the commissioner review each page of the affidavit and exhibits to confirm that the pages are identical, and initial each page in the lower right corner.
5. The commissioner administers the oath. You answer any questions from the commissioner and swear or affirm the truth of the facts. The commissioner watches you sign your copy of the affidavit.
6. Email the signed affidavit with exhibits to the commissioner. (For example, scan the pages on your computer or take pictures of them with your phone, and then email them.)
7. The commissioner compares each page received from you to their own pages, signs their copy, and then attaches everything with a certificate that says it was impossible or unsafe, for medical reasons, for the two of you to be physically present together.
8. File your affidavit. Supreme Court registries are open and accepting filings in all matters.You can file in person, but the court still prefers that you file documents by email, mail, fax (to fax filing registries), or by using Court Services Online where available. 

The Supreme Court is open. See Supreme Court during COVID-19 for up-to-date information about the following:

• What is currently happening in Supreme Court
• What is currently not happening in Supreme Court
• Contact information
• Links to changed and temporary processes