ontario regulation 227/25

made under the

Courts of Justice Act

Made: September 29, 2025
Filed: October 1, 2025
Published on e-Laws: October 1, 2025
Published in The Ontario Gazette: October 18, 2025

Amending O. Reg. 258/98

(RULES OF THE SMALL CLAIMS COURT)

1. Rule 1.05.1 of Ontario Regulation 258/98 is amended by adding the following subrules:

Conversion from Paper Format

(10) In the case of a proceeding that is commenced or continued in the City of Toronto, the clerk may prepare an electronic copy of any document that was filed or issued in the proceeding in paper format and include it in the court file.

(11) If the clerk prepares an electronic copy of a paper document, the clerk may return the paper document to the person who filed it or to whom it was issued, in which case subrule (7) applies with necessary modifications to the returned document.

(12) Subrules (10) and (11) apply with necessary modifications with respect to documents filed with the sheriff or bailiff in the City of Toronto, in which case a reference in those subrules to the clerk shall be read as a reference to the sheriff or bailiff, as the case may be.

(13) An electronic copy of a filed or issued document that is prepared under subrule (10) shall be considered to be the document as it was filed or issued in the proceeding.

2. Rule 1.05.4 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following subrule:

Non-Application, City of Toronto

(1.1) This rule does not apply with respect to proceedings commenced or continued in the City of Toronto.

3. The Regulation is amended by adding the following rules:

Ontario Courts Public Portal

1.05.5 (1) In this rule,

“Ontario Courts Public Portal” means the software authorized by the Ministry of the Attorney General for the purposes of this rule and that is available on the internet under the name “Ontario Courts Public Portal” in English and “Portail public des tribunaux de l’Ontario” in French.

Application, City of Toronto

(2) This rule applies with respect to,

(a)  the filing and issuance of documents in proceedings commenced or continued in the City of Toronto; and

(b)  the filing of documents with the sheriff or bailiff in the City of Toronto.

Permitted Use

(3) Any document that, under these rules, may or must be filed with the clerk, sheriff or bailiff or issued may be submitted for filing or issuance electronically through the Ontario Courts Public Portal if,

(a)  the Portal provides for the electronic filing or issuance of the document; and

(b)  the person requesting the filing or issuance of the document has agreed to the Portal’s terms of use and submitted, through the Portal, an email address at which the person agrees to accept documents electronically.

Subject to Confirmation

(4) A document is considered to have been filed or issued through the Ontario Courts Public Portal only if the clerk, sheriff or bailiff provides confirmation of the filing or issuance.

Filing or Issuance Date

(5) A document filed or issued through the Ontario Courts Public Portal is considered to have been filed or issued on the filing or issuance date indicated in the confirmation, despite subrules 1.05.1 (5) and (6).

If Clarification Needed

(6) The clerk, sheriff or bailiff may request from a person written clarification with respect to a document that is submitted for filing or issuance through the Ontario Courts Public Portal, and the person shall provide the clarification in the manner specified by the clerk, sheriff or bailiff.

Case Center

1.05.6 (1) In this rule,

“Case Center” means the software authorized by the Ministry of the Attorney General for the purposes of this rule and that is available on the internet under the name “Case Center”.

Application, City of Toronto

(2) Unless the court directs otherwise, this rule applies to a proceeding that is commenced or continued in the City of Toronto.

Requirement to Use Case Center for Hearings, Conferences

(3) For every hearing or conference in the proceeding, copies of the documents to be relied on and referred to at the hearing or conference shall be uploaded to Case Center as follows:

1.  The clerk shall upload a copy of every document filed with the court by a party in respect of the hearing or conference.

2.  If directed by the court, a party shall provide to the court copies of such documents in respect of a hearing or conference as the court specifies by uploading them in accordance with the court’s directions.

Does Not Amount to Filing or Service

(4) For greater certainty, uploading documents to Case Center under paragraph 2 of subrule (3) does not amount to the filing or service of those documents under these rules.

Commencement

4. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, this Regulation comes into force on the later of October 4, 2025 and the day this Regulation is filed.

(2) Section 3 comes into force on the later of October 14, 2025 and the day this Regulation is filed.

Made by:
Pris par :

Le procureur général,

Doug Downey

Attorney General

Date made: September 29, 2025
Pris le : 29 septembre 2025