Wednesday, September 13, 2023, 12:30 p.m.
Room 95 & Video Conference, Supreme Court of Canada
Present
- Chantal Carbonneau (Chair)
- Cristina Damiani
- Barbara Kincaid
- Emily Moreau (Secretary)
- Stéphanie Bachand
- Renée Maria Tremblay
- François Lacasse
- Gib van Ert
- Corey Villeneuve
- Jeff Beedell
- Marion Sandilands
- Isabelle Bouchard
- Marie-France Major
- Jean-Simon Schoenholz
- Christopher Rupar
- Nadia Effendi
- Moira Dillon
- Gordon B. Greenwood
- Andrew Montague-Reinholdt
1. Agenda
The agenda was approved.
2. Approval of the Minutes of the meeting of June 14, 2023
The minutes were approved.
3. Fall 2023 session
The Courtroom has returned to its usual (pre-COVID) configuration and occupancy. Counsel for principal parties will appear in person or via Zoom, if requested. Counsel for interveners will continue to appear via Zoom. All parties will be provided with Zoom links in case counsel is unable to appear in person on the day of the hearing.
The reserved seating policy to attend hearings has been reinstated, and there will be space for parties/clients to attend. Members of the public may also reserve seats in the Courtroom, and permanent overflow capacity will be put into place in the Main Hall. However, Courtroom capacity and availability of seating remains subject to the direction of the Registrar.
Changes are being made to the virtual hearing environment to allow a tighter view of the judges’ bench. We will recommend counsel appearing via Zoom to “pin” the view of the bench to their screen, allowing them to better see the judges while pleading.
Members are reminded that the Courtroom is a mask-friendly environment. Counsel and visitors are asked to follow public health guidelines. In particular, those who are sick (with COVID or any other illness) should refrain from coming to the Court.
4. Amendments to the Rules of the Supreme Court of Canada
It is expected that the amendments will come into force in June 2024.
Registry is currently accepting an email delivery receipt as proof of service, and counsel are asked to consolidate proof of service, if possible (i.e., provide only the originating email to all parties).
5. Varia
SCC Website: A survey will be going out about website use; members are encouraged to respond. Volunteers will also be needed to test the new website as it is developed.
Redacted material: The Court has guidelines on how to properly redact documents so that the redactions cannot be undone/removed. It should be noted that Word does not allow for sufficient redaction; proper redaction can only be done through Adobe.
150th anniversary of the Court: Many initiatives are planned for 2025, including contests for students, a Law Clerk reunion and other outreach activities.
6. Next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 12:30 p.m., in Room 95 and via Zoom.