Court accessibility services and resources

The Ministry of Attorney General is committed to ensuring equal access to court services across British Columbia.

Court Services Branch has an accessibility coordinator who can assist with identifying accessible facilities and other accommodations, such as equipment or services, that can be made available when you visit the courthouse.

Types of features the accessibility coordinator can assist with include assistive listening devices, real-time interpretation, accessible parking, and service animal requests. The accessibility coordinator can also provide information about court services that may be available by internet, phone or email. To contact the accessibility coordinator, please email CourtAccessCoordinator@gov.bc.ca.

Please note that any request for accommodations related to a court proceeding, filing, and other court processes (additional breaks, permission to record proceedings, permission to use a support person, etc.) must be directed to the judge, justice, master, or registrar for your court matter.

When requesting support with accommodations, providing staff with the following information is helpful:

• court location
• court file number
• court level (Provincial, Supreme, Appeal) and file type (civil, criminal, family, youth, etc.)
• your role (for example, party, legal counsel, witness, or member of the public)
• date and time of any court proceedings and type of proceeding (for example, hearing, case conference, trial, or appeal)
• any known deadlines for filing documents
• the type of accommodation you need to use court services or participate in the court proceeding

In some cases, the accessibility coordinator may need to ask for further information. If you are not sure about what kind of accommodation you require, you can discuss the barriers you face with the accessibility coordinator.

Court Services Branch staff, including the accessibility coordinator, cannot provide legal advice. If you wish to seek legal assistance, there are several organizations that provide free or low-cost legal services to British Columbians. You can access a list of organizations on the Legal Aid BC website.