Governance and committees
The Chief Judge is responsible for the administration of the Court. Two Associate Chief Judges, five Regional Administrative Judges and two Administrative Judicial Justices support the Chief Judge.
The Provincial Court consists of judicial officers and Integrated Judicial Services employees who provide scheduling and support to judicial officers in their work. Courthouses in BC are operated by the provincial government. Employees in courtrooms and court registries are not judiciary employees. They are provincial government employees working for the Court Services Branch.
Office of the Chief Judge and Integrated Judicial Services
Under the Chief Judge's direction, the day-to-day operations of the Court are carried out by Integrated Judicial Services employees working at the Office of the Chief Judge and in courthouses across the province. The Office of the Chief Judge, which is the Court's administrative headquarters, is located at the Robson Square courthouse in downtown Vancouver.
The Chief Judge is the Court’s spokesperson
Integrated Judicial Services employees are responsible for:
Trial scheduling administration (judicial case managers)
Financial, office and administrative support to judges (judicial administrative assistants)
Justice of the peace administration
Judicial resources and business intelligence
Administration of the judicial justice division
Legal advice and research
Educational conference support and assistance
Judicial Council support and assistance
Court policy development and maintenance
Judgment posting
Facilities support, including maintaining judiciary chambers
Finances
Business intelligence (data collection)
A range of corporate services and policy implementation
Human resources
Information technology
Engaging with government agencies, media, individuals and organizations wishing to communicate with the Court
Administrative Regions and Regional Administrative Judges
The Chief Judge’s responsibility for the assignment of judges and cases is delegated to five Regional Administrative Judges, one in each of the Court’s five administrative regions.
Regional Administrative Judges and map of administrative regions
Administrative Judicial Justices
Judicial justices may be assigned to conduct traffic, ticket and bylaw hearings in courthouses around the province, or to deal with search warrant applications and after-hours bail<p><span lang="EN-US">An order made by a judicial justice or a judge releasing an accused person from jail until their trial and requiring them to obey certain conditions (rules) and return to court on a specific date. The legal term for bail is “judicial interim release”.</span><span> </span></p> hearings at the Justice Centre in Burnaby. There is an Administrative Judicial Justice for the Traffic Division and one for the Justice Centre.
Committees
The Governance Committee provides strategic direction and decision-making for the Court on policy, planning and management matters, as well as issues concerning the administrative independence of the Court. Chaired by the Chief Judge, the Committee’s members include:
- Associate Chief Judges
- Regional Administrative Judges
- Executive Director, Integrated Judicial Services
With substantially the same membership as the Governance Committee, the Judicial Administration Committee (JAC) is chaired by an Associate Chief Judge. The JAC provides advice to the Chief Judge on emerging issues in the five judicial regions, policy development and other administrative matters. Senior Legal Counsel is also on this Committee.
The Judicial Justice Administration Committee provides advice to the Chief Judge on administrative issues involving the Judicial Justice Division. The committee is chaired by the Executive Director, Integrated Judicial Services. Membership includes:
- An Associate Chief Judge
- The Administrative Judicial Justice of the Traffic Division
- The Administrative Judicial Justice of the Justice Centre
- The Justice of the Peace Administrator
The Executive Operations Committee consists of:
- The Chief Judge
- The Associate Chief Judges
- The Executive Director of Organizational Services
It meets to support the day-to-day administration of the Court and to ensure that meeting materials for the Judicial Administration Committee.
Committees of judges assist the Chief Judge in three areas of law: criminal, family and civil. Their work includes:
- Providing advice, assistance and resources to the Chief Judge on matters relating to criminal, family and civil law
- Advising judges about law reform and changes, new procedures and significant case law
- Presenting education programs to judges
- Contributing to the Court’s website
- Creating standard wording of terms or "conditions" commonly used in orders made by judges and judicial justices
Education committees made up of judges and judicial justices organize and present semi-annual education conferences.
Provides advice to the Chief Judge in furthering reconciliation.