O. Reg. 487/16: RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, Filed December 23, 2016 under Courts of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.43

ontario regulation 487/16

made under the

Courts of Justice Act

Made: December 6, 2016
Approved: December 21, 2016
Filed: December 23, 2016
Published on e-Laws: December 23, 2016
Printed in The Ontario Gazette: January 7, 2017

Amending Reg. 194 of R.R.O. 1990

(RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE)

1. Rule 4.02.1 of Regulation 194 of the Revised Regulations of Ontario, 1990 is revoked and the following substituted:

Bilingual Proceedings

Bilingual Documents

4.02.1 (1) A pleading or any other document written in French that may be filed under section 126 of the Courts of Justice Act may also include a version of all or part of the text written in English.

Request for Bilingual Proceeding

(2) A requisition or written statement under clause 5 (1) (a) of Ontario Regulation 53/01 (Bilingual Proceedings) made under the Courts of Justice Act may be filed electronically.

Consent to File Documents in French

(3) A consent filed for the purposes of paragraph 7 of subsection 126 (2) of the Courts of Justice Act may be filed electronically.

2. (1) Subrule 4.05 (4.1.1) of the Regulation is revoked.

(2) Rule 4.05 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following subrules:

Issuance, Filing Outside of Business Hours

(8) If a document is issued or filed electronically outside of regular business hours, the authorized software shall indicate that the document was issued or filed, as the case may be, on the next day that is not a holiday.

Signatures and Electronic Issuance, Filing

(9) If a document is issued or filed electronically, a requirement in these rules that the document contain a person’s signature is satisfied if the authorized software indicates on the document that the document has been electronically issued or filed, as the case may be.

Requirement to Keep Signed Paper Copy

(10) A person who electronically files an affidavit or other signed or certified document that was originally signed in paper format shall retain it until the earlier of,

(a) a requirement under these rules to file the signed document in paper format; and

(b) the fifth anniversary of the electronic filing.

Inconsistencies

(11) In the event of an inconsistency between a document filed electronically by a person using the authorized software and any information provided by the person using the authorized software that is not the electronically filed document,

(a) the electronically filed document prevails; and

(b) the registrar may request from the person clarification, in the manner specified by the registrar, respecting the inconsistency, and the person shall promptly provide it.

3. Rule 4.07 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following subrule:

Electronically Filed Documents

(7) This rule does not apply to a document that is filed electronically in accordance with these rules; however, if the document is later filed in paper format, this rule applies to the paper version of the document.

4. Rule 7.02 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following subrule:

Electronic Filing

(3) An affidavit under subrule (2) may be filed electronically.

5. Subrule 14.03 (4.1) of the Regulation is amended by adding “subject to subrule 14.04 (3)” at the end.

6. The Regulation is amended by adding the following rule:

Electronic Filing of originating process for action

14.04 (1) A statement of claim (Form 14A (general) or 14B (mortgage actions - foreclosure)) or a notice of action (Form 14C) may be filed electronically, if the statement of claim or notice of action may, under rule 13.1.01, be filed in a court location for which the software authorized by the Ministry of the Attorney General for the purpose may be used, as indicated by the Ministry.

(2) Subrule (1) does not apply unless the plaintiff specifies an e-mail address at which he or she agrees to accept documents from the court electronically.

(3) Subrule 14.03 (4.1) does not apply if the statement of claim or notice of action is filed electronically.

Requirement to File in Paper Format

(4) A statement of claim or notice of action that has been filed and issued electronically shall be filed with the registrar by the plaintiff in paper format,

(a) on the filing by the plaintiff of any other document in the action in paper format, other than a document filed under subrule 19.01 (1) or (2); or

(b) on the request of the registrar.

7. Rule 14.07 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following subrule:

Electronic Issuance of Originating Process for Action

(3) A statement of claim (Form 14A (general) or 14B (mortgage actions - foreclosure)) or a notice of action (Form 14C) that was filed electronically may be issued electronically, in which case subrule (2) does not apply.

8. (1) Paragraphs 1 and 2 of subrule 48.14 (1) of the Regulation are revoked and the following substituted:

1. The action has not been set down for trial or terminated by any means by the fifth anniversary of the commencement of the action.

2. The action was struck off a trial list and has not been restored to a trial list or otherwise terminated by any means by the second anniversary of being struck off.

(2) Rule 48.14 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following subrules:

Exceptions

(1.1) Subrule (1) does not apply to,

(a) actions placed on the Commercial List established by practice direction in the Toronto Region; and

(b) actions under the Class Proceedings Act, 1992.

Form of Order, Electronic Issuance

(1.2) An order made under subrule (1) shall be in Form 48D, and may be issued electronically.

(3) Subrule 48.14 (2) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “(Form 48D)”.

(4) Subrule 48.14 (9) of the Regulation is amended by adding “other than subrule 24.04 (1.1)” after “(effect of dismissal for delay)”.

(5) Subrules 48.14 (11) to (13) of the Regulation are revoked.

9. Subrule 60.02 (3) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “subrule 4.05 (4.1.1)” at the end and substituting “rule 60.20”.

10. (1) Subrule 60.07 (1.1) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “subrule 4.05 (4.1.1)” in the portion before clause (a) and substituting “rule 60.20”.

(2) Subrule 60.07 (5.2) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “subrule 4.05 (4.1.1)” and substituting “rule 60.20”.

(3) Subrule 60.07 (8.1) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “subrule 4.05 (4.1.1)” and substituting “rule 60.20”.

(4) Subrule 60.07 (11.1) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “subrule 4.05 (4.1.1)” and substituting “rule 60.20”.

(5) Subrule 60.07 (12.3) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “subrule 4.05 (4.1.1)” and substituting “rule 60.20”.

(6) Subrule 60.07 (13.0.1) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “subrule 4.05 (4.1.1)” and substituting “rule 60.20”.

(7) Rule 60.07 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following subrule:

Documents Issued, Filed Electronically

(25) Despite subrule 4.05 (8), the authorized software used for the electronic issuance or filing of documents under this rule may provide that a document issued or filed electronically outside of regular business hours was issued or filed on the actual day of issuance or filing.

11. Clause 60.15 (3) (b) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “subrule 4.05 (4.1.1)” and substituting “rule 60.20”.

12. Subrule 60.16 (1.1) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “subrule 4.05 (4.1.1)” and substituting “rule 60.20”.

13. Rule 60 is amended by adding the following rule:

Limit on Electronic filing, issuance

60.20 Only the following persons may have documents issued electronically or may file documents electronically under Rule 60:

1. A lawyer or a person licensed under the Law Society Act to provide legal services in Ontario.

2. A person who has filed a requisition with the registrar to provide for the electronic issuance and filing of documents in relation to the enforcement of an order.

3. A Minister or body acting under the authority of an Act of Canada or Ontario.

14. The row for Form 48D in the Table of Forms to the Regulation is amended by striking out “November 1, 2005” in the column titled “Date of Form” and substituting “November 1, 2016”.

Commencement

15. (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), this Regulation comes into force on the later of April 24, 2017 and the day it is filed.

(2) Subsections 8 (2) to (5) and section 14 come into force on the later of January 1, 2017 and the day this Regulation is filed.

(3) Subsection 8 (1) comes into force on the later of July 1, 2017 and the day this Regulation is filed.

Made by:
Pris par :

Civil Rules Committee:
Le Comité des règles en matière civile :

Alison Warner

Senior Legal Officer and Secretary to the Civil Rules Committee /
Avocate principale et secrétaire du Comité des règles en matière civile

Date made:December 6, 2016
Pris le : 6 décembre 2016

I approve this Regulation.
J’approuve le présent règlement.

Le procureur général,

Yasir Naqvi

Attorney General

Date approved: December 21, 2016
Approuvé le : 21 décembre 2016