Toronto – Ontario will take a major step toward modernizing its justice system on Tuesday, when the province officially launches the first phase of its new digital court platform, allowing court users to file documents, access case information, schedule appearances, pay fees, and receive decisions online — a move hailed as long overdue by judicial leaders.
The initiative marks the beginning of a multi-year digital transformation project for the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice, designed to make the court system more accessible, efficient, and responsive. The first phase will launch in Toronto for family and civil matters, including bankruptcy, commercial disputes, contested estates, the small claims court, and the divisional court. Expansion to Toronto’s criminal matters is planned for 2027, followed by a province-wide rollout.
Ontario Superior Court Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz has been a vocal advocate for bringing the province’s justice system into the 21st century. “What we’re trying to achieve is a system that works for everybody on a far more equitable timeline so that you can deliver justice in a system that is really quite responsive to the public and the public’s needs,” he told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning on Monday.
The provincial government first announced the digital courts transformation plan in 2021, calling it “the most significant single step forward in the digital evolution of justice in Canada.” In 2023, Ontario committed $166 million to the initiative and awarded Thomson Reuters the contract to build the platform.
Michelle Bouthiette, senior manager and lead for the Superior Court of Justice’s digital transformation project, said the platform is designed to be intuitive. “It’s very simple to use. It requires little to no training or guidance to navigate,” she explained. “This project really is focused on making sure that we are implementing one solution that will have all of the information, meaning you don’t have to go to all of our disconnected systems anymore to get to some sort of information.”
The shift toward a unified digital court system is expected to reduce administrative bottlenecks, shorten timelines, and increase public access to justice services, particularly for individuals and businesses who previously had to appear in person for filings and case updates.
The Ontario government plans to expand the platform in stages, ultimately transforming how courts across the province operate and interact with the public. Tuesday’s launch in Toronto represents a historic milestone in Canada’s legal digitalization efforts, positioning Ontario as a national leader in justice system modernization.