To access the Digital Office of the Court of Appeal, click on the following link: 

The Digital Office of the Court of Appeal

The Digital Office of the Court of Appeal (hereinafter “DOCA”) can be used to:

1. Open an appeal file by filing one or more originating appellate pleadings in all matters, with the exception of youth matters (jurisdictional code: 08);

2. File one or more documents in an already open appeal file.

Before using this service, it is essential that you review the conditions for accessing the service, the technical requirements and the steps in the filing process.

Depending on your profile, you must create an account tailored to your situation:

• Counsel

• Self-represented parties

• Persons mandated by a party or by counsel

When counsel create an account, they will be asked for a permanent code (firm or lawyer (e.g.: AC1234)), but this information is not mandatory. Counsel without a permanent code may request one from the Ministère de la Justice by completing the form available online at: https://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca/espace-professionnel/juristes/sj-1149/.

To use the Digital Office, your setup must include:

• An up-to-date browser (Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are the two recommended browsers);

• A stable Internet connection;

• A PDF reader for viewing documents.

Before logging on to the Digital Office, you must ensure that the following conditions have been met:

1. Check that the documents e‑filed fall within an authorized practice area.

2. Have a valid user account.

3. Use a compatible technical environment.

4. Have the following documents on hand:

   • If e‑filing an originating appellate pleading: the originating appellate pleading and its schedules, as well as all other pleadings or documents intended to be e‑filed at the same time as the originating appellate pleading;

   • If e-filing one or more documents in an already open appeal file: the pleading or document to be e-filed in PDF format;

   • Proofs of service on each of the respondents, where applicable;

   • Proofs of notification, if available;

   • A valid credit card or a legal aid mandate, as applicable.

5. Check that the documents e‑filed meet the following requirements:

   • Be in PDF format;

   • Be identical to the paper version when the document must be filed on paper and in PDF format;

   • Comply with the rules set out in the Chief Justice’s directive, including being searchable – i.e., they must allow keyword searches (consequently, digitized documents must not be in the format of a “PDF Image”, in which case the system will display an error message preventing the user from proceeding with the e‑filing);

   • When transmitting a proof of service or notification, each proof must be in a separate file so it can be associated with the proper party.

E‑filing of an originating appellate pleading is accepted in the following practice areas: 

(The jurisdiction code is indicated in the file number in first instance. It is the number in second place (e.g.: 000-00-000000-000).)

To protect your data, a session will automatically expire after 60 minutes of inactivity. Be sure to save your information regularly.

For more information on how data is stored and on the security of the Digital Office, please refer to the “Terms of Use” section.

The Digital Office can be used to open an appeal file by e‑filing an originating appellate pleading.

Preliminary Information

Before using the Digital Office, you must read the Clerk’s Practice Direction No. 3 — Digital Office of the Court of Appeal (DOCA), which sets out all the rules for e‑filing.

For more information on the procedure before the Court of Appeal, please refer to the “Guide on Civil Procedure” or the “Guide on Criminal Procedure”, depending on the nature of your appeal.

Eligible Originating Appellate Pleadings

Important: The Digital Office cannot be used to file originating appellate pleadings in youth matters (jurisdiction code 08).

Other Eligible Pleadings and Documents

Other pleadings and documents can be e‑filed at the same time as the originating appellate pleading, including the following:

Paper Copies

Depending on the nature of the appeal (with leave or as of right), paper copies may be required. These paper copies must be received within five working days after the e-filing or within the time determined by the clerk.

File Size

Each PDF that is filed must not exceed 100 Mb.

Time of E‑Filing

E‑filings may be made 24 hours a day, but are deemed to have been received at the moment indicated in the table below:

To find out when the Court office is open, please refer to the “Contact Us” section.

Payment of Judicial Fees

When the payment of judicial fees for an e‑filing is required, payment may be made directly online through a secure payment platform.

Only payments with a Visa, MasterCard or American Express credit card are accepted.

An electronic receipt is automatically generated after a payment.

(The Court of Appeal and the Ministère de la Justice do not collect any banking information.)

To find out the applicable fees, please refer to the “Court Costs and Bill of Costs in Civil Matters” section or the “Court Costs in Criminal and Penal Matters” section.

Parties must use the Digital Office to transmit the PDF file of pleadings and other documents already filed on paper at the counter of the Court office. The paper version of these pleadings or documents already filed with the Court office on paper will be considered to be the original, and the technological version will be considered to be a courtesy copy with no legal value.

Maximum Size

The total size of PDFs e-filed at one time cannot exceed 500 MB; otherwise, several e-filings will be required.

To access the Digital Office of the Court of Appeal, click on the following link: 

The Digital Office of The Court of Appeal