Halton Court Services - COVID-19 Update
Feb. 16, 2021.
The Halton POA Courtrooms are closed for in person proceedings, but are open for virtual proceedings. All Provincial Offences Act in-person matters scheduled from Monday, March 16, 2020 to, and including, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021 will be adjourned and rescheduled to a virtual court appearance at a later date.
If you have a court appearance, do not attend the courthouse in person.
Halton POA administration counter services are now open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Please note that you must do an online screening at Ontario.ca/courtscreening and masks are mandatory before entering the courthouse.
Please conduct business online or by phone, where possible.
Telephone inquiries or payments are available at 905-637-1274,from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Many online services are also available by email at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca or online at haltoncourtservices.ca
Please note:
-
Trial requests - may now be submitted by mail or online by filling out a Notice of Intention to Appear form available online, with a copy of the offence notice.
-
Early Resolution requests - may be submitted online at www.ontario.ca/ticketsandfines or mailed in.
-
Re-opening and extension applications - may now be submitted by email to burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca or by mail.
Important note: The Affidavit of Re-opening currently doesn’t need to be commissioned.
-
Payments - may be made online at www.Paytickets.ca. Phone payments may also be made at (905) 637-1274 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Please note:
On Nov. 25th, 2020, the Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice made an order pursuant to s. 85 of the Provincial Offences Act extending most timelines under the Act until Feb. 26, 2021.
A copy of this order is available here:
https://www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/files/POAs85Order25Nov2020.pdf
If you received an Offence Notice (ticket) after March 1, 2020, you have until Feb. 26, 2021 to exercise one of the options set out on the back of the Notice. If you do not respond by Feb. 26, 2021 you may be deemed not to dispute the charge and a justice may enter a conviction for the offence.
Please refer to the Order for a list of all steps in a proceeding that are impacted by the extension of time.
Notice to public and paralegals/lawyers:
Frequently Asked Questions
| Q1 - What if I received a trial and/or Early Resolution meeting notice for a court appearance between March 16, 2020 to January 22, 2021? |
| A1 - All trials and Early Resolution Meeting will be re-scheduled to a virtual court appearance, you will receive a new notice in the mail. If you do not receive a notice in the mail call 905-637-1274 to confirm your court date. |
| Q2 - What if I received a summons to appear in court for an in-person court appearance between March 16, 2020 to January 22, 2021? |
| A2 - A notification will be sent by mail to advise of your re-scheduled virtual court appearance. If you do not receive a notice in the mail call 905-637-1274 to confirm your court date. |
| Q3 - Will my licence be suspended if my trial is postponed? |
| A3 - Not if your trial was scheduled between March 16 and Jan. 22, 2021. All legislative timelines were extended by the Chief Justice of Ontario. However, if your fine was payable prior to March 15, 2020, you are required to pay your fine on time or risk enforcement action. |
| Q4 - Are your offices still open? |
|
A4 - Halton POA administration services are currently open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday to Friday. Telephone payments are available at 905-637-1274, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Many online services are also available by email at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca or by visiting haltoncourtservices.ca |
| Q5 - Can I access services on your website? |
| A5 - Yes. Customers can apply for Early Resolution Meetings, and check the status of their court case using our Court Case Look Up system available at www.Ontario.ca/ticketsandfines. |
| Q6 - Can I complete my request to extend time to pay application online? |
| A6 - Yes. You can download the forms from the court’s website and email your application to burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca |
| Q7 - Can I complete my reopening application online? |
| A7 - Yes. You can download the forms from the court’s website and email your application. |
| Q8 - Can I access services through email? |
| A8 - Halton Court Services will accept completed fine extension applications and reopening applications through our burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca email account. You can also check the status of your case through the online Court Case Look Up (see Q5)and via email at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca. |
| Q9 - What types of services are available over the phone? |
| A9 - Fine payments and inquiries can be done over the telephone at (905) 637-1274 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Please contact the Halton POA court at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca for further information. |
| Q10 - Can I mail in my court application? |
| A10 - You can mail in or email burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca your completed fine extension application, reopening application.
You can mail in your Offence Notice when selecting the Early Resolution option or submit online at www.ontario.ca/ticketsandfines. |
| Q11 - Do I have to come to a court office in person for anything? |
|
A11 - No. All court services can be carried out online at www.haltoncourtservices.ca, by email at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca.or telephone at 905-637-1274. |
| Q12 - Who can I contact for further information? |
| A12 - You can email us at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca or call us at (905) 637-1274 |
| Q13 - My ticket says I have to choose an option within 15 days, but I’m past that time period. Can I get an extension? |
| A13 - All legislative timelines for an offence notice (ticket) received from Mar. 1, 2020 have been extended to Feb. 26, 2021.
Please contact the Halton POA court at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca for further information about your options. Note: On Nov.25, 2020 the Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice made an order pursuant to s. 85 of the Provincial Offences Act extending most timelines under the Act until Feb. 26, 2021. A copy of this order is available here: https://www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/files/POAs85Order25Nov2020.pdf |
| Q14 - I’m sick, do I have to come to the court office? |
| A14 - At the direction of the Regional Senior Justice of the Peace all court proceedings are being scheduled for virtual proceedings. If you have a matter scheduled, please do not attend court in person. If you have not received a notice with your virtual meeting instructions call the court office at 905-637-1274 to confirm your court date. |
| Q15 - Where can I get more information about COVID-19? |
|
A15 - Please visit the City of Burlington website, at www.burlington.ca/coronavirus for up-to-date information. For further COVID-19 information, please visit Halton Region Public Health www.halton.ca/coronavirus |