The Ministry of Attorney General proposed amendments to the Court of Appeal Rules and civil forms. The proposed amendments are intended to clarify existing procedures, create efficiencies, and improve access to justice for litigants in the B.C. Court of Appeal. The civil forms are being redesigned to include readable instructions with plain language and consider future integration of electronic filing options.

A 2019 public consultation by the Ministry of Attorney General concerned proposed amendments to the Court of Appeal Act and Court of Appeal Rules. In early 2021, the consultation results were incorporated into the Court of Appeal Act, S.B.C. 2021, c – 6. The new Act will come into force when the Rules are finalized.

Citizens were asked to consult the White Paper and review the draft Rules for further information prior to submitting written feedback. The revised forms were also available for viewing.

Court of Appeal COVID-19 Recovery – Survey

In addition, the Court of Appeal ran a separate public survey seeking feedback on court operations post-pandemic. This survey identified changes implemented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and requested feedback on how court operations could be modified post-pandemic.

June 25, 2021 to August 20, 2021

• Feedback on the proposed new Rules and forms was accepted by email until Friday, August 20, 2021
• 7 emails were received

The Ministry will consider feedback from the public engagement prior to finalizing the amendments to the Court of Appeal Rules.