Adeline Adkinson: Ontario courts to resume in-person tests starting July 6

From Toronto.com – Trials and preliminary hearings will resume across the province starting July 6 with a limited number of courtrooms, according to an update from the Ontario Court of Justice.

“All participants in a trial or preliminary inquiry, including the accused person(s), counsel and witness(es) will attend in person, unless a judge has directed otherwise,” according to the update.

Bail hearings, guilty pleas and scheduling appearances that have been done remotely so far will continue to be done by teleconference.

The court is also resuming some in-person family law proceedings along with continuing remote hearings. The in-person hearings will include child welfare matters and other trials deemed urgent by the court.

Some Provincial Offences courts, which deal with matters like speeding tickets and municipal bylaw violations, will open on July 6, 2020, but only to hear early resolution guilty pleas through audio or video conference.