The Provincial Court of British Columbia has announced they will resume priority in-person proceedings in several different cities across the province next month.
The court stated in a release that two courtrooms will be opened in six locations starting on June 8th.
See also: B.C. Supreme Court suspends regular operations, shifts focus to “essential and urgent” matters
These include Surrey, Victoria, Prince George and Kelowna, as well as two locations in Vancouver.
There will be one courtroom in 28 additional B.C. cities which will open for some in-person appearances starting June 15th.
According to the court, in-person proceedings will only be available for priority matters that cannot be accessed remotely.
For many cases, they say, existing protocol that was updated on May 8th will continue.
“Open accessible courts are fundamental to our democracy,” the court said in a release Tuesday.
“The rule of law depends on it. However, the public, litigants, court staff, court participants, counsel, judges and the media need to know that when they come to court they will be safe.”
The provincial government is currently using the services of an experienced professional consultant to provide recommendations on proactive safety measures, with minimizing transmission of COVID-19 in courthouses and courtrooms a priority.
