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New Ontario online courts portal brings delays and 'snafus,' Toronto lawyers say
The Ontario Courts Public Portal causes filing delays up to four weeks and limits search functions, prompting concerns over access and case management among legal professionals.
- Months after the fall launch, the Ontario Courts Public Portal is causing unpredictable delays for lawyers, The Canadian Press reported on Jan. 6, 2026.
- The Ontario Courts Public Portal launched in Toronto in the fall to let people file documents, pay fees and find virtual links for non-criminal matters, and the Ontario Bar Association said members received it well with issues quickly addressed.
- Tasks that used to take a day or two such as scheduling a motion or getting a statement of claim issued can now take weeks, with lawyers reporting missing videoconference links and late issuances.
- Facing new hurdles, cases now require file numbers only obtainable at public courthouse terminals, party-name searches are removed, and the portal isn't fully synced with the Superior Court of Justice.
- Digital access to criminal cases is set to expand next year in Phase 2, and the Ontario government aims for a 2030 provincial deployment touted as more transparent and accessible.
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20 Articles
20 Articles
The Ontario courts' new public portal website, intended to streamline judicial procedures, has drawn criticism from the legal profession after several months of trial operation in Toronto. Lawyers have reported that the new system has not only failed to provide convenience but has also caused unexpected delays, and has even been criticized as "inferior to the old system."
Coverage Details
Total News Sources20
Leaning Left15Leaning Right0Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution88% Left
Bias Distribution
- 88% of the sources lean Left
88% Left
L 88%
12%
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