April 2002 – New Rules

Counsel are notified that the Supreme Court of Canada has enacted new Rules of Practice. The Rules of the Supreme Court of Canada were registered as SOR/2002-156 and were published in Part II of the Canada Gazette on April 24, 2002. The current rules, the Rules of the Supreme Court of Canada, SOR/83-74, will be repealed on June 28, 2002, the date that the new rules come into force.

Pursuant to Rule 96 of the new Rules, the current rules will continue to apply to any case where the notice of appeal is filed before June 28, 2002.

The rules have been rewritten to simplify process, to reflect the current practices of the Court and to make case management more efficient. Counsel are asked to familiarize themselves with the new rules, particularly the filing deadlines, the changes to the rules regarding assembly and the number of copies of documents required to be filed. Counsel's observance of the new Rules will assist the Court with the timely and efficient processing of cases.

The new Rules and forms and a guide to major changes will be available on the Court's Website at www.scc-csc.ca and at the Court on May 15, 2002. In addition, information sessions will be held on June 5, 2002. Counsel who wish to attend should contact the Registry at 613-996-8666 no later than May 24, 2002.

The current notices to the profession will continue to be applicable until June 28, 2002.

For further information, please contact any Registry officer at 613-996-8666.

Anne Roland
Registrar