The B.C. Court of Appeal is making it easier for users to file court documents.
“It is imperative that we continually look for ways to streamline the justice system and make it easier for the users of our court system. In addition to being green, this project is just one of the steps we are,” Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond said.
E-filing was piloted over the past year by a number of B.C. law firms, and now the Court of Appeal would like to invite other users to file their court documents online. Electronic filing or e-filing of civil documents can be processed through Court Services Online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Examples of documents that can be filed in a civil appeal include: notice of appeal, leave to appeal, notice of cross appeal, appearance, notice of motion, affidavit, certificate of readiness, application to vary, leave to intervene, indigent application, notice of settlement or abandonment, letters, requisition, registrar’s appointment, bill of costs, and certificate of costs.
British Columbia now has all three levels of court participating in the e-filing system.
“Court of Appeal e-filing expands access to the court for litigants outside B.C.’s major urban centres by allowing parties to file documents without attending at the court. When a document is e-filed, it also becomes instantaneously available to litigants and the public through the electronic registry, Court Services Online,” Chief Justice Lance Finch said.