eNews: Court
The first entirely new Law Courts built in BC since 2002 were officially opened in Abbotsford on February 4, 2021. Completed on time and on budget, the state-of-the-art building was designed to be technologically advanced, environmentally friendly, and accessible to everyone.
Updated May 2021
The court lists posted online and in BC courthouses use short forms and acronyms (a short form made up of the first letters of the words being shortened). And even when judges and lawyers try to use words that everyone can understand, their speech can sometimes sound like alphabet soup.
Providing a forum of justice that is impartial, fair, consistent, and assures equal access for everyone is part of the mission of the Provincial Court of British Columbia. According people dignity and respect by using their correct titles and pronouns is one aspect of such a forum.
Although more and more judges and lawyers are trying to use plain language instead of legal jargon, you may still hear them use unfamiliar terms to describe the parts of a courtroom.
Updated June 2022