Ontario spending $166M to move some legal services online

CBC.ca
July 19, 2023

The Ontario government announced $166 million in funding Tuesday for a system that will move some court services online, continuing to formalize a modernization process that was brought on when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the digitization of parts of the legal system.

The province says Thomson Reuters has been awarded a contract to develop a new digital justice platform, which will allow court users to file documents, access case information and pay fees online instead of having to go to a courthouse.

The system will also let people connect to hearings virtually, manage court appearances online, and receive decisions electronically.

"It's a system that will help improve access to justice, whether it be from home or from a courthouse," Attorney General Doug Downey said.

The province said in a news release that its courts digital transformation initiative was first announced in November 2021 and is part of a "multi-year plan" to remove barriers in the justice system and to speed up access to services.