TORONTO — A newly launched online platform designed to modernize and streamline access to Ontario’s court system is facing criticism from members of the legal community, who say the system has introduced delays, confusion and new procedural hurdles months after its rollout.
The Ontario Courts Public Portal, introduced in Toronto last fall, allows users to file documents, pay court fees and access virtual hearing links for non-criminal matters, including Superior Court civil, family, small claims and bankruptcy cases, as well as Divisional Court and provincial family court proceedings. The province plans to expand digital access to criminal cases in a later phase and roll out the system province-wide by 2030.
While lawyers broadly support the move toward digital modernization, some Toronto-based practitioners say the portal is unintuitive and has slowed down processes that previously took days, now stretching into weeks. According to lawyers, delays in scheduling motions, issuing claims and accessing hearing links are having a cascading effect on case timelines and client confidence.
Legal professionals report that the portal is not fully integrated with the Superior Court of Justice’s mandatory document-sharing platform and does not consistently display all active files linked to a lawyer. In addition, the ability to search cases by party name — a feature available in the previous system — has been removed, requiring users to obtain file numbers in person at courthouse terminals.
Lawyers also raised concerns about limitation periods, noting that while documents are backdated to the date of online submission, errors may not be flagged until weeks later, potentially placing litigants at risk. Urgent filings can still be made in person, but the criteria for urgency remain narrow.
Some lawyers have also described last-minute complications in accessing virtual hearings, including missing videoconference links despite hearings being marked as scheduled in the portal, forcing emergency follow-ups with court staff.
Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General says more than 25,000 users have registered for the portal since its October launch, with over 73,000 submissions received to date. A spokesperson for Doug Downey said the province is gathering real-time feedback and making continuous improvements as part of a phased implementation.
The Ontario Bar Association has offered a more measured assessment, acknowledging early “growing pains” while stating that most issues raised by members have been addressed quickly and that overall feedback has been positive compared to other digital transitions in the justice sector.
As the province continues to refine the system, lawyers say close collaboration with frontline users will be essential to ensure the portal ultimately delivers on its promise of improved efficiency, transparency and access to justice.