Criminal — Central West Region

Effective date: June 30, 2025

This Central West Consolidated Practice Direction, made pursuant to Rule 1.07(4), applies to all proceedings in the Superior Court of Justice, Central West Region. This updated Practice Direction supersedesall previous region-specific Practice Directions and Notices to the Profession for the Central West Region. Counsel and parties are also advised to refer to the relevant parts of:

• the Criminal Proceedings Rules.
• the Rules of Civil Procedure.
• the Family Law Rules.
• the Consolidated Provincial Practice Directions

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1. Only where a timely request and there are clear and compelling reasons for a change of presumptive mode of hearing will a change be granted. If already scheduled, a new date will have to be scheduled depending on hybrid court availability.

2. Any party seeking to change the presumptive mode of hearing for a criminal event must submit their written request with the Court at the earliest attendance and no later than when scheduling the event.
3. Any party seeking to change the Presumptive Mode of Hearing for a civil or family event must request, in writing, a virtual conference to seek the change PRIOR TO THE MATTER BEING SCHEDULED OR AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY upon the hearing being scheduled. Please note that, if a change in the presumptive mode is granted, the scheduled hearing date will have to be adjourned to a new date where there are only virtual conferences being heard.
4. Requests for a change in the Presumptive Mode of Hearing within two weeks of the scheduled hearing date will NOT be considered.

17. Parties must ensure compliance with the requirements for uploading materials to Case Center set out in the respective Consolidated Provincial Practice Directions for Civil, Family, and Criminal matters, and the Guide to Requirements on the Superior Court of Justice’s Website.
18. It is the responsibility of the parties (and former counsel), upon receipt of the Case Center invite to forward an invite to new counsel or party if there has been a change in counsel or the contact information of the current counsel or party is incorrect.
19. Only Court documents which have been accepted for filing are to be uploaded to Case Center. Should any party upload documents which have not been filed, the party must bring this to the attention of the presiding judge.
20. Case Center creates bundles for each file. Each bundle corresponds to a court attendance. It is essential that parties upload their documents to the bundle associated with that attendance.
21. Upon service and filing of documents, counsel must immediately upload the filed documents to Case Center. If necessary, counsel should contact the Court Administrative Office to obtain a Case Center invite for the event.
22. Case Center will be used for all criminal events except for the following events:
    • Trial Readiness Court;
    • Assignment Court;
    • Bail Estreatment; and
    • To Be Spoken To (TBST) matters.
23. Judicial Pre-Trial (JPT) briefs MUST be uploaded to Case Center.
24. Case Center is not to be used for any matter where the accused is self-represented. Self-represented parties may file their JPT briefs in person, or by email if directed by the Trial Coordinator’s Office.
25. Subject to a judicial order or endorsement, all scheduled civil and family events will use Case Center except for Assignment Court and Triage Court.
26. If a self-represented litigant is not able to use Case Center because of lack of access to technology, they can obtain help through Justice Services Online by contacting 1-800-980-4962 or by email at casecenter@ontario.ca.
27. In addition to the list of materials that should not be uploaded to Case Center outlined in the Consolidated Provincial Practice Direction for Family Proceedings, counsel and parties are not to upload:
    • Children’s Aid Societies (CAS) records;
    • Financial records where confidential identifying information has not been redacted;
    • Other private confidential documentation such as children’s health records; and
    • Affidavits for motions to get off the record unless the privileged information has been redacted. An unredacted affidavit must be made available to the hearing judge.
28. Counsel must set out in the Case Center materials that the documents above have been filed but not uploaded. Counsel must advise the Court at the commencement of the hearing that these documents have not been uploaded but have been filed with the court.

29. Parties must refer to the Consolidated Provincial Practice Directions regarding the Release of Orders and Endorsements. In some cases, where the Court has reserved, the presiding judge may arrange to send a copy of the reasons or endorsement to the parties via email.

45. The moving and responding parties must comply with the Filing requirements set out above in Part 1, section B.
46. Except pursuant to a judge’s express direction, late filing of or uploading of short/regular motion materials (or those which fail to meet document standards or exceed the prescribed length or formatting) cannot or will not be accepted by the Court staff nor by Judicial Assistants and therefore cannot be uploaded to Case Center.
47. The request and reasons for late filing or uploading of motion materials will have to be addressed to the presiding motions judge, who will determine whether the motion proceeds with or without the late-served materials or is adjourned. Adjournments and cost consequences may result.
48. Parties must give careful consideration to what is to be covered in the hearing time, the pace at which documents and authorities can reasonably be reviewed, and the time needed for oral argument on the issues raised. This consideration should extend to:
    • The number of issues which can properly be dealt with in oral argument, and
    • The number of authorities actually required in order to establish the legal propositions relied upon.
49. Inaccurate estimates for the time required for hearings may result in a case being adjourned (either before or during the hearing) and rescheduled for a realistic time estimate with no expedition of the rescheduling. There may also be costs consequences.

56. As set out above, uploading of all filed motion materials must be done on or before the day and time for filing a Confirmation.

133. An order will be issued administratively (i.e., automatically) when certain claims are made in an Application, Motion to Change or Answer in accordance with Rule 8.0.1 of the Family Law Rules. These automatic orders require each party to comply with their financial disclosure responsibilities.
134. The party who commenced the claim will receive a copy of the Automatic Order and MUST serve it on the opposing parties. An Affidavit of Service should be filed and uploaded to Case Center.
135. Rule 13(3.1) of the Family Law Rulessets out which documents MUST be included with a Financial Statement where child or spousal support has been sought. An updated Certificate of Financial Disclosure must be provided to the other party.
136. A party who has not made all reasonable efforts to comply with their disclosure obligations may be subject to a cost sanction, directions/terms imposed and/or the adjournment of any motion brought by that party until compliance. In egregious cases, upon motion, continued non-compliance may result in a party’s pleadings being struck or found in contempt of court.

157. Conference should be scheduled by emailing the Court requesting available dates at:

158. Filing restrictions relating to family events are included in the Consolidated Provincial Practice Direction for Family Proceedings.
159. Late filing: Neither the Court staff nor Judicial Assistants can or will accept late Conference briefs or Conference briefs which do not comply with the restrictions regarding the length or proper formatting of filed documents. Requests to file and upload late Conference briefs must be made to the presiding judge and may result in an adjournment and/or cost consequences to the non-compliant party.

219. Parties must comply with the filing requirements in the Family Law Rules.

226. Unless dispensed by Court order, the moving party to a motion must email a Form 14C: Confirmation Form no later than 2 p.m. three business days before the date of the motion. The parties may file a Confirmation Form jointly. This applies even if the matter has been directed to be heard peremptorily.
227. As noted above, the parties or their counsel should consult with each other prior to filing their Confirmation Forms, unless the parties are self-represented and prohibited from communicating by Court order. These consultations must address both the attendance (time required and materials) and a potential resolution of the outstanding issues.
228. Where Confirmation Forms have not been filed, by at least one party, the hearing date will be vacated.
229. The Confirmation Form must list the specific issues that are to be addressed at the event and be uploaded to Case Center. It must also set out clearly which materials are necessaryfor the judge to review.
230. The Confirmation Form must also include an appropriate time estimate for the entire motion including time required by the other party.
231. Confirmation forms must be uploaded to Case Center into the correct bundle.

• Pre-Trial Form

• Requisition for Triage Court Form

Ria Tzimas
Regional Senior Justice Superior Court of Justice
Central West Region