You can find information on How to make a request to attend a virtual hearing here.

Members of the public who attend a virtual court proceeding must conduct themselves as if they were physically in the courtroom and continue to observe the well-established rules of court decorum similar to those set out for in person hearings at the courthouse which can be found at attending court in person

The rules of court decorum continue to be subject to the directions of the presiding judge.

All members of the public attending a virtual hearing should observe the following rules:

• Eliminate distractions and arrive on time:
  • Try to locate a quiet area and minimize interruptions and distractions by others who may be around while you participate in the proceeding.
  • Turn off all electronic devices before entering the virtual proceeding apart from the one you are using to enter the virtual proceeding.  This includes muting any notifications on your computer/device.
  • If participating in a virtual proceeding by videoconference, inappropriate profiles or background photos must not be used.
  • Check to ensure that you have a stable internet connection.
  • To minimize distractions during the court proceeding, log in a few minutes before the scheduled start time.  This will allow you to test your connectivity and audio before the judge arrives.  Follow the Zoom (or other virtual platform) directions.
  • If you are joining the courtroom through Zoom, leave your video turned on unless the Court directs you to turn it off.
• Identification
  • Identify yourself when in the virtual meeting:
  • If you are appearing in a Zoom courtroom, sign in with your last name followed by your first name. Participants, including litigants and witnesses, are also encouraged to proactively provide their prefix (e.g., Mr./Ms./Mrs./Mx., etc.) and/or pronouns (e.g., he/him, she/her, they/them, etc.) when stating their name or by updating their screen name during a virtual proceeding.
  • If you are appearing by phone, please disclose your identity immediately upon inquiry so that the court can rename you.
• Attire
  • Dress appropriately for court when appearing via videoconference.  Dress as you would if you were attending court in person.  Hats or headwear are not permitted except for religious reasons.  Sunglasses, including those on top of your head, must be removed before entering the virtual proceeding.
• Behaviour
  • When appearing in a virtual proceeding, you are expected to comply with the following:
    • be courteous and respectful to all participants;
    • do not chew gum or bring food;
    • the only beverage permitted is water, which must be in a clear glass or container;
    • do not use tobacco or vaping products; and
    • sit or stand in a manner demonstrating respect for the process.

The failure to comply with these requirements may result in the presiding judge removing you from the proceeding.

• Recording
  • Unless authorized by the judge, you shall not make any recording of the proceedings or take photos or screen captures of the proceedings.  It is an offence under section 136 of the Courts of Justice Act and may constitute contempt of court to record, photograph, publish or broadcast court proceedings without express permission of the presiding judicial official.  Some proceedings may also have publication bans in effect, which make it a criminal offence to publish or broadcast certain information that may be referred to during a court hearing. Members of the public should review the Rules on use of electronic devices.

Individuals representing themselves who attend a virtual court proceeding must conduct themselves as if they were physically in the courtroom and continue to observe the well-established rules of court decorum similar to those set out for in person hearings at the courthouse which can be found at attending court in person.

The rules of court decorum continue to be subject to the directions of the presiding judge.

All self-represented litigants attending a virtual hearing should observe the following rules:

• Eliminate distractions, prepare and arrive on time:
  •  Try to locate a quiet area and minimize interruptions and distractions by others who may be around while you participate in the proceeding.
  • Turn off all electronic devices before entering the virtual proceeding apart from the one you are using to enter the virtual proceeding.  This includes muting any notifications on your computer/device.
  • If participating in a virtual proceeding by videoconference, ensure that any profile picture or background is appropriate for, and respectful of, the court process – inappropriate profiles or background photos must not be used.
  • Check to ensure that you have a stable internet connection.
  • To minimize distractions during the court proceeding, log in 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.  This will allow you to test your connectivity and audio before the judge arrives.  Follow the Zoom (or other virtual platform) directions.
  • If you are joining the courtroom through Zoom, leave your video turned on unless the Court directs you to turn it off.
  • Mute your audio when not speaking and do not speak over others.  Raise your hand when you wish to speak.

• Identification
  • Identify yourself when in the virtual meeting:
    • If you are appearing in a Zoom courtroom, sign in with your last name followed by your first name. Participants, including litigants and witnesses, are also encouraged to proactively provide their prefix (e.g., Mr./Ms./Mrs./Mx., etc.) and/or pronouns (e.g., he/him, she/her, they/them, etc.) when stating their name or by updating their screen name during a virtual proceeding.
    • If you are appearing by phone, please disclose your identity immediately upon inquiry so that the court can rename you.

• Attire
  • Dress appropriately for court when appearing via videoconference.  Dress as you would if you were attending court in person.  Hats or headwear are not permitted except for religious reasons.  Sunglasses, including those on top of your head, must be removed before entering the virtual proceeding.
• Behaviour
  •  Be courteous and respectful to all virtual court participants.
  • Participants must remain on mute until their matter is called.
  • If the judge determines that you are behaving in a disruptive or abusive manner, they may remove you from the meeting.
  • Do not bring food to the virtual courtroom.  This includes chewing gum.
  • When appearing via video, the only beverage permitted is water and it must be in a clear glass or container.
  • Do not use tobacco or vaping products in the virtual courtroom.
  • Do not prop your feet up on a table or chair when appearing via videoconference.
  • Do not walk around or step away during a videoconference meeting.  If you need to step away from the meeting or divert your attention away from the screen during the meeting, advise the judge and stop your video.

• Recording
  • Unless authorized by the judge, you shall not make any recording of the proceedings or take photos or screen captures of the proceedings.  It is an offence under section 136 of the Courts of Justice Act and may constitute contempt of court to record, photograph, publish or broadcast court proceedings without express permission of the presiding judicial official.  Some proceedings may also have publication bans in effect, which make it a criminal offence to publish or broadcast certain information that may be referred to during a court hearing.
  • Self-represented litigants should review the Rules on use of electronic devices.

All counsel that attend a virtual court proceeding must conduct themselves as if they were physically in the courtroom.  We ask all individuals participating in virtual court proceedings to continue to observe the following well-established rules of court decorum.  However, they are all subject to the directions of the presiding judge.

All counsel attending a virtual hearing should observe the following rules:

• Preparation in advance of the hearing:
  • All counsel should ensure in advance of the hearing that their Internet connection, and the Internet connection of any witnesses they intend to call, is stable.
  • All counsel should join the hearing at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time to ensure that there are no technological issues that could create a delay.
  • All counsel appearing in virtual proceedings must ensure that backgrounds are neutral and the setting is professional and appropriate for a court hearing, which specifically does not include the interior of a vehicle.
  • All counsel appearing in virtual proceedings must ensure that they are appearing from a private space free from any distractions, such as people or pets that could wander into the room.

• Identification and gowning:
  • Counsel’s screen name must be surname then given name, unless otherwise directed by the court. Counsel are also encouraged to proactively provide their prefix (e.g., Mr./Ms./Mrs./Mx., etc.) and/or pronouns (e.g., he/him, she/her, they/them, etc.) when stating their name or updating their screen name during a virtual proceeding.
  • Counsel must be gowned for any virtual proceeding that if conducted in person would require gowning.  For greater clarity, see Gowning requirements for counsel.

• In-court etiquette:
  • The judge and counsel should be addressed as if they were in a physical courtroom.
  • Unless directed otherwise by the court, it is not necessary to stand when a judge joins the hearing or when addressing a judge.  In lieu of bowing to the judge, counsel may nod or bow their heads when the judge enters the video feed.