The B.C. Court of Appeal is making it easier for users to file court documents.
E-filing was piloted over the past year by a number of B.C. law firms, and now the Court of Appeal would like to invite other users to file their court documents on-line. Electronic filing or e-filing of civil documents can be processed through Court Services On-line, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Examples of documents that can be filed in a civil appeal include: notice of appeal, leave to appeal, notice of cross appeal, appearance, notice of motion, affidavit, certificate of readiness, application to vary, leave to intervene, indigent application, notice of settlement or abandonment, letters, requisition, registrar's appointment, bill of costs, and certificate of costs.
In addition to the convenience, the expansion of this on-line service will also help reduce paper consumption, travel and delivery costs.
British Columbia now has all three levels of court participating in the e-filing system. The Supreme Court of British Columbia and the Provincial Court of British Columbia have offered e-filing since June 2007.
Court Services Online was introduced in 2005 as part of a series of projects focused on the environment and forms part of the overall government strategy to provide alternative options and access to government services.
"It is imperative that we continually look for ways to streamline the justice system and make it easier for the users of our court system," said Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond in a news release. "In addition to being green, this project is just one of the steps we are taking to enhance access to the courts and reform the justice system."
You can access Court Services Online at https://eservice.ag.gov.bc.ca/cso/index.do.
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