Communicating with the Court
Except where a judicial official otherwise directs, for parties and/or Counsel with matters before the Court, the appropriate means of communicating with the Court is:
- on the Court record (i.e. verbally in Court proceedings, or in writing through materials filed with the Court as provided by the Rules of the Court, and
- on notice (i.e. with a copy) to Counsel for/or the opposing party/parties.
The Court does not receive evidence or argument via unsolicited correspondence, or communications from parties, or others, in regard to any Ontario Superior Court proceeding or hearing other than on the Court record and on notice to counsel and parties unless specifically directed by the judicial official. The Court reserves the right not to respond to inappropriate communications made in person, by telephone, email, social media or in other written or digital form. Inappropriate communications include those that:
- contain evidence that ought to be put to the Court under oath orally in a Court proceeding or a sworn affidavit;
- contain argument in a proceeding, that ought to be put to the Court in oral argument or in the form of a written, filed brief of argument;
- seek legal advice;
- seek comment from the Court in respect of the merits of any decision made by an individual Judge, Associate Judge or Deputy Judge;
- complain about the conduct of Counsel for/or the party/parties opposite;
- are not on notice, or copied, to Counsel for/or the party/parties opposite; and/or
- contain rude or abusive language.
In addition, the Court will not respond to:
- Questions about Ontario government programs and services, assistance with preparing forms and similar questions that should be directed to the Court Services Division of the Ministry of the Attorney General
- Questions about filing or accessing court files or documents that should be directed to the Court Services Division of the Ministry of the Attorney General
- Questions in relation to matters before the Ontario Court of Justice or the Ontario Court of Appeal that should be directed to those Courts.
- Complaints about the conduct of lawyers that should be directed to the Law Society of Ontario
- Complaints about staff employed by the Ontario Government who are not employed by the Superior Court’s Office of the Chief Justice.
