The Small Claims Court is committed to timely, practical judicial education for deputy judges throughout their time on the Court. The Deputy Judges Council plays a critical role in developing and maintaining educational offerings for deputy judges, pursuant to its mandate under the Courts of Justice Act.

On appointment, each new deputy judge is connected with a judicial mentor and provided with opportunities to shadow and learn from their judicial colleagues conducting hearings.

New deputy judges are given access to extensive resources on the judicial role and the work of the Small Claims Court. These resources include videos focused on the educational needs of newly appointed deputy judges.

New deputy judges are also provided with technical training to assist with conducting both virtual and in person hearings, and working with digital documents.

For the first three years of their appointment, deputy judges have access to a quarterly mentorship program.

Ongoing Judicial Education

Deputy judges attend the annual Caswell Education Seminar, which provides education on legal and professionalism topics relevant to deputy judges. These include case law updates, rule amendments, judicial skills and equity, diversity and inclusion.