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Northwest Territories courts push sittings to February

Certain proceedings in Yellowknife’s Territorial Court will not resume as scheduled, continuing the backlog within the system.
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Furthering the backlog of court proceedings, a recent update has put a delay on certain Territorial Court cases until Feb. 14th, 2022. NNSL file photo

Certain proceedings in Yellowknife’s Territorial Court will not resume as scheduled, continuing the backlog within the system.

In an update to the Covid - 19 Territorial Court Notice (which was issued on Dec. 31), all Youth and Adult Criminal Docket Days for those not in custody will be postponed until Feb. 14.

“All Youth Court Docket Days prior to Feb. 14 are cancelled and all matters listed on them will be adjourned to the Monday that falls exactly six weeks following the cancelled docket day,” courts administrator Denise Bertolini wrote. “The affected Young Person will be required to attend court on the date their matter is adjourned to.”

The same applies to all adult criminal docket days, which will also be postponed until a date following Feb. 14, 2022.

“All matters listed on them will be adjourned to the Tuesday that falls exactly 6 weeks following the cancelled docket day. The affected adult will be required to attend court on the date their matter is adjourned to.”

On the listed date of Feb. 14t all youth court docket days are to be held in Courtroom 202 in the Yellowknife court building.

The change comes with a caveat that a territorial court judge could override the abovementioned measures on a case-by-case basis.

Persons in custody

For those in custody trials, preliminary inquiries and sentencings scheduled in Yellowknife before Feb. 14 will be held for Feb. 15, at 1:30 p.m. in the Yellowknife Courthouse’s Courtroom 202 for rescheduling.

Docket appearances for adults and youth in custody will be heard on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m.

For all civil and family matters, these will be conducted by teleconference unless noted otherwise.

Justice of the Peace court sittings have been cancelled until March 1.

For proceedings outside of Yellowknife, circuit matters in Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, Behchokǫ̀ Fort McPherson, Aklavik, Sahtu, Ulukhaktok, Hay River, Fort Simpson, Fort Resolution, Fort Providence, Fort Smith, and Fort Liard have also been impacted.

“All circuit matters that were to be heard during September 2021 to February 2022 inclusive, have been rescheduled to be spoken to on the first scheduled circuit to the community in question after Feb. 28, except for the first Inuvik circuit which will be the week of Feb. 21.”