Reducing Delays in British Columbia’s Courts
CBABC asks the provincial government to invest in the BC Supreme Court’s data and technology systems
When British Columbians go to court, they expect a justice system that delivers fair outcomes in a timely manner. Yet court delays continue to affect litigants and counsel across British Columbia, increasing costs and extending the time required to resolve disputes.
The impacts of these delays are felt beyond the courtroom. Families and businesses may face prolonged uncertainty and increased costs while disputes remain unresolved.
“Chronic underfunding has left the justice system struggling with delays, limited resources, and barriers to access, undermining both efficiency and fairness,” said the BC Supreme Court in its 2025 annual report.
While court filings in B.C. continue to rise, nearly 17% of cases scheduled for trial or resolution in B.C. in 2025 were delayed because a judge was not available, the report said. While the federal government needs to increase the number of judges in British Columbia, there are measures the province could take to help alleviate court delays.
To help address these issues, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch President Patricia Blair appeared before the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services during the provincial government’s 2027 budget consultations in Nanaimo.
On behalf of CBABC, she called for strengthening the justice system with funding that would modernize the BC Supreme Court’s data and technology systems. She emphasized that a modern court system needs reliable data to identify where delays occur and how to address them.
Without accurate information, the Court has limited ability to identify where delays occur, assess the effect of procedural changes or allocate resources based on measured need.
For lawyers and clients, the uncertainty around scheduling and trial availability increases costs. Extended timelines increase administrative burdens and require prolonged preparation for law firms and sole practitioners.
But with reliable data, the Court can make informed decisions, directing resources where they are needed most to improve efficiency and coordination across the justice system.
We’ve already seen the value of this approach in the Provincial Court. Better data has enabled that Court to track timelines throughout each stage of a case, identify differences across regions and case types and measure whether procedural changes are improving outcomes.
Lawyers see firsthand how prolonged delays affect clients, witnesses and families. These delays can complicate case management, increase costs and extend uncertainty throughout a proceeding.
Investing in data and technology systems is one of the many steps needed to improve access to timely justice. Through Agenda for Justice 2025, CBABC put forward dozens of related recommendations to help courts respond more effectively to growing demand, including increasing the number of judges serving in B.C.
Encouragingly, progress is underway. The BC Supreme Court has introduced an online booking system for trials and long hearings, expanded virtual short chambers across the province and implemented e-filing for application records.
Further investments would support ongoing efforts to improve court administration and reduce delays. Combined with other reforms, they would provide the Court with better information to manage growing caseloads and improve service delivery.
