Starting this week, sections of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice will be accessible online as part of a long-term digital transformation initiative aimed at modernizing the court system. This initiative will enable users to electronically file documents, access case details, schedule proceedings, make payments, and receive decisions without the need to physically visit a courthouse.
Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz of the Ontario Superior Court has emphasized the importance of updating the province’s justice system, stating that the change is overdue. He highlighted the goal of creating a more efficient and responsive system that caters to the needs of the public.
The Ontario government unveiled the courts’ digital transformation project in 2021, hailing it as a significant advancement in Canada’s legal landscape. In 2023, the province allocated $166 million for the implementation of the new system and selected Thomson Reuters to develop the platform.
The initial phase of the project will commence in Toronto, starting with family and civil matters such as bankruptcy, commercial cases, contested estates, small claims court, and divisional court. Chief Justice Morawetz mentioned that the system will gradually expand to include criminal cases in Toronto by 2027, followed by regional expansion.
Michelle Bouthiette, the senior manager overseeing the Superior Court of Justice’s digital transformation, expressed confidence in the platform’s simplicity and effectiveness. She emphasized the user-friendly interface, requiring minimal training for navigation and consolidating information from various systems into a single solution.
Bouthiette expressed optimism about the upcoming launch and anticipated positive reception from users once the new system is in operation.
