Traffic, bylaw courts in Sask. temporarily closed

Shortly after the Saskatchewan Provincial Court announced a temporary end to most trials, preliminary hearings and in-person matters due to COVID-19 precautions, traffic and bylaw courts are taking a similar course.

Effective Monday, traffic and bylaw courts are closed, in keeping with the provincial court's recent move. The closures of traffic and bylaw courts remain in effect up to and including Jan. 15.

Public notices are to be posted at court facilities and online, advising of new court dates for docket and trial matters that had been scheduled within the closure period.

Traffic court — which in Regina is ordinarily held within the provincial court building — has been operating until now at off-site locations in the province, allowing for social distancing measures.

Last week, provincial courts announced the suspension of in-person and other matters, pinning the blame on rising COVID-19 numbers in the province. As in the case with traffic and bylaw courts, the suspensions remain in effect up to and including Jan. 15.

According to last week's update on the Courts of Saskatchewan website, the suspension of in-person matters, as well as trials and preliminary hearings — both of which typically require in-person attendance by, at the very least, the accused — comes “in response to the increased incidence of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan and guidance from the Chief Medical Health Officer.”

In-person matters like trials can only be held at provincial court if a judge deems it safe and in accordance with the CMHO'S guidelines.

As of Monday, Saskatchewan's Queen's Bench courts — while they had previously announced the suspension of jury trials — had not made a similar move to temporarily end in-person matters. Despite that, a variety of matters in Queen's Bench court are nonetheless being held via video conference or phone.

Everyone attending Court of Queen's Bench in person is subject to screening to ensure they are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or been exposed to the virus.

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has been handling its matters via video conferencing since March.