Integrated Domestic Violence Court 

Integrated Domestic Violence Court (or “IDVC”) is a specialized court which helps families going through a criminal domestic abuse charge and a family separation at the same time. Usually, in these types of situations, two courts are involved: the criminal domestic abuse charge is heard in the criminal court by a criminal judge and the family separation proceeding is heard in the family court by a family judge. However, in this specialized court, IDVC’s goal is to make it easier for the family by not having to go to two separate courts with two separate judges, but rather attend at one court (IDVC), with one judge (an IDVC judge) that hears both these matters at the same time.

IDVC first opened in 2011, in downtown Toronto, at the 311 Jarvis courthouse. It is the first and only one of its kind in Canada and has the honour of being studied by other countries wishing to set-up a similar type of specialized court.

Benefits of IDVC 

Some of the benefits of attending a streamlined IDVC court are:

• The parties must only travel to one court location, instead of two.
• It reduces the amount of time the parties must attend court.
• Parties don’t have to repeat their story in two separate proceedings
• The judge will have more information about the family and the situation of the accused person.
• The IDVC judge can make sure that any bail conditions ordered for the accused do not conflict with the family law parenting time order (formerly known as an ‘access’ order).
• Having one judge hear both the family and criminal matters, instead of two, allows the judge to understand the family problems better and to make more wholistic orders that work best for that particular family.
• The IDVC judge will be better able to monitor the family’s situation, which increases the accountability of the accused and enhances the safety of the complainant.

Overall delays are reduced, and the parties can receive court decisions quicker, because instead of waiting for decisions from two different judges, you can get all your decisions from one judge.

Who is eligible for IDVC? 

Currently, IDVC is only available to parties who have a family and a criminal matter before one of the Toronto courthouses listed below:

 

Family courthouses: 47 Sheppard Avenue East OR 311 Jarvis Street

            PLUS

Criminal courthouse: 10 Armoury St. – Toronto

 

In addition to having your family and criminal cases being heard at one of the above locations, the following criteria below also must be met:

The family Case

• The family case must deal with decision-making responsibility (formerly known as custody), parenting time (formerly known as access), support or a restraining order.

The criminal Case 

• The criminal case must be a summary conviction charge involving alleged domestic violence. A criminal charge where the Crown elects to proceed by summary conviction is a summary Conviction offence. The accused cannot be in jail.

NOTE that IDVC can not hear matters that deal with divorce, the division of family property or child protection cases.

What Does IDVC Do?

Family Matters

• IDVC will hold case conferences, hear motions and may conduct short trials.

Criminal Matters

• IDVC will hear bail variation applications, conduct pre-trial meetings, accept guilty please and may also conduct trials.