(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)

The Provincial Court of B.C. is reducing operations to ensure lawyers, parties, judges and the general public remain safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The court system will still be available to those with urgent matters unless COVID-19 updates alters operations further, according to a provincial court statement.

Beginning today, March 16, family cases, child protection case conferences or small claims cases will be postponed until May 4. Any cases leading up to that date will be given a new date on May 4.

All bail hearings will be now be done by an audio or video conference unless a judge specifies otherwise, the statement reads.

Today and tomorrow after hearing submissions, judges will use their discretion to determine if previously scheduled family, child protection, small claims and criminal trials will proceed on those two days.

Starting on Wednesday, ticket, traffic and bylaw matters will be adjourned without the disputant needing to attend court, the provincial court said. This policy will remain in place until May 4. A new date will be mailed to the disputant to the address on file.

Consent remand matters can now be done by phone or email when available.

The scheduling and hearing of in-custody criminal trials and sentence hearings will continue unless adjourned by the court on application by a party, the release states.

It is suspected some of the matters will continue as usual, such as criminal matters that a judge, on application, determines are urgent, urgent small claims matters such as outstanding warrants, search warrants and production order applications. Also likely to continue are urgent family matters such as restraining orders and child protection matters as determined by a judge.

On March 13, the Provincial Court of B.C. released a statement encouraging those with symptoms similar to the novel coronavirus to stay home. Coughing, sneezing, fever, sore throat and difficulty breathing are all listed as COVID-19 symptoms on the B.C. Centre for Disease Control’s webpage here.

Lawyers, witnesses and other parties who are ill, quarantined or in self-isolation as recommended by a health care professional should contact the court, the statement reads.

Criminal proceedings for people without lawyers should contact the Crown prosecutor for their case, the court said. Parties with lawyers and witnesses who have arranged a testimony should contact their lawyer.

The provincial court recommends lawyers contact their parties prior to a court date to prevent a last-minute adjournment. If a party doesn’t show up and hasn't taken the necessary steps, an order can be made in their absence.

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