COVID-19 Pandemic - Update

List of news published on the website regarding the pandemic

Hearings on the merits and applications before a judge alone or before a panel

The Court offers pleaders (counsel or party) the choice of coming to Court for the hearing of their appeal or participating in the hearing via videoconference. When an application is placed on the roll, the Court office will send the parties or their counsel, as the case may be, a notice of hearing containing all the necessary information for the videoconference. Upon receipt of the notice of hearing, a pleader (counsel or party) may notify the Court office that they wish to appear in person in Court for the hearing of the application.

Please note that a virtual hearing may not be appropriate for certain appeals or applications, in which case the Court office will also contact those concerned.

For more information on virtual hearings, please refer to the section entitled Virtual Courtrooms.

Hearings in courtrooms

In the case that a hearing is held in a courtroom, you will be required to comply with the following measures:

• If you are ill or have been in contact with a person who has symptoms of COVID-19 or has tested positive for COVID-19, do not come to Court;
• It is still strongly recommended that masks be worn in the common areas of the courthouse as well as in the courtrooms.
• Those present in the courtrooms should, to the extent possible, maintain a distance of at least one metre between them.
• Come to Court no more than 30 minutes before your hearing;
• Upon arriving at the Court and before entering the courtroom and when leaving it, use the hand sanitizer that has been made available;
• Bring your own water bottle; pitchers of water and glasses are no longer provided;
• A document filed at the hearing must be accompanied by its technological version on a USB key.

Public nature of hearings and Guidelines Concerning the Use of Technological Devices in Courtrooms

The use of virtual courtrooms does not prevent the public from attending hearings, given that the open court principle subsists (subject to the exceptions that apply under normal circumstances). The rolls for the Court are posted on the Court’s website, as usual (https://courdappelduquebec.ca/en/rolls).

Members of the public (including journalists) can attend virtual hearings via audio. By emailing a request to the office of the Court in Montreal or Quebec City, depending on the hearing venue (Office of the Court in Quebec City: courdappelqc@judex.qc.ca; Office of the Court in Montreal: courdappelmtl@judex.qc.ca), they will be able to receive the relevant information.

The physical presence of members of the public in courtrooms will be authorized only in compliance with the health guidelines in effect, including those governing the maximum capacity in courtrooms.

It should also be noted that the Guidelines Concerning the Use of Technological Devices in Courtrooms apply to virtual hearings, with the necessary modifications. Thus, subject to the exceptions set out in said Guidelines, no participant is authorized to take a screenshot, record the hearing or broadcast it by any means whatsoever.

Virtual courtrooms

Link to the section dedicated to virtual courtrooms : Virtual courtrooms.

Contact information for the offices of the Court

• Office of the Court in Quebec City:  Fax: 418-646-6961 or courdappelqc@judex.qc.ca
• Office of the Court in Montreal: Fax: 514-864-7270 or courdappelmtl@judex.qc.ca