SCC Portal

The Supreme Court of Canada has developed an Electronic Filing Portal that will make it easier for parties to file documents. The web-based portal allows users to upload multiple documents per case. This is the first phase of the portal, additional functions will be added over time.

The portal should be used for all filings with the exception of documents that are subject to a sealing or confidentiality order (Rule 23 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Canada).

The Supreme Court of Canada electronic filing procedure is simple and user-friendly and does not require any specialized technical knowledge.

It is important to understand that this portal does not alter legislative or judicial guidelines. It simply allows you to submit your documents for filing online, rather than by email attachment and/or appearing in person at the Supreme Court of Canada. You should always follow the Supreme Court Act and Rules of the Supreme Court of Canada when filing material, unless the Court has issued specific directions otherwise.

You must continue to follow the Guidelines for Preparing Documents to be Filed with the Supreme Court of Canada (Print and Electronic) when formatting your materials for filing. If you do not follow the Guidelines, the Registry can refuse your filing. This could mean that you miss your deadline for filing. If you miss the deadline, you will need to request an extension of time.

Detailed information to assist you with your filing can be found in the Electronic Filing Portal menu.

You can use the Electronic Filing Portal for all proceedings, but you are strongly advised to contact the Registry before filing materials on urgent matters. If your filing will be received outside of regular business hours, it is particularly important for you to advise the Registry. Otherwise, your document may not be received in a timely manner.

The portal allows you to mark documents as “Urgent”. Please follow the steps indicated in the Electronic Filing Portal and, where the option becomes available, identify that your filing is urgent. Submitting a document for e-filing does not guarantee that it will be processed immediately. Parties with urgent matters are responsible for contacting the Registry to make special arrangements (if applicable).

The Electronic Filing Portal is free to use, but parties must still pay fees (also called “tariffs”) when filing certain documents (e.g. application for leave to appeal, motions) (Tariff of Fees of the Rules).

All filing deadlines apply to electronic filing. If you miss a filing deadline due to technical problems, you need to request an extension of time. There is no guarantee that an extension will be granted.

Filing a document through the Electronic Filing Portal does not change the filing deadline set out in the Rules. When you submit a document, a Registry Officer will review it. If your document meets the requirements of the Rules and the required formatting standards, it will be accepted for filing (filed). The document is deemed to have been filed on the date and time that it was submitted for filing, in the Eastern time zone (EST).

You must complete all steps in a single session in order to submit your transaction. It is not possible to save an incomplete session.

Term	Definition
Affidavit	A sworn statement in writing made under oath before a "commissioner of oaths".
Affidavit of service	An "affidavit" whose purpose is to certify that a document has been served.
Agent	A lawyer practicing in the National Capital Region who is hired to provide procedural assistance on matters before the Supreme Court of Canada.
Appeal	A proceeding in which a case is brought before a higher court to have it review a lower court's judgment and to convince it that the lower court's judgment was incorrect.
Appellant	Appellant is the party who brings the appeal to the Court. An appellant is called an applicant at the application for leave to appeal stage. An applicant becomes an appellant if leave to appeal is granted.
Applicant	A person who applies for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada or who brings a "motion".
Application for leave to appeal	An application for leave to appeal referred to in Rule 25 and section 40 of the Act.
Authorities	Include legislation, case law, articles and texts, treaties and excerpts from them.
Counsel/Lawyer	A person authorized to practise law, conduct lawsuits or give legal advice.
Court appealed from	The court from which an appeal is brought directly to the Supreme Court of Canada. In most cases, it is a provincial court of appeal or the Federal Court of Appeal.
Factum	The name of the document filed on appeal by the parties and Interveners. It is in seven parts containing a concise overview of their position and a statement of facts, questions in issue, arguments, submissions (if any) in support of the order sought concerning costs, the order or orders sought, a table of authorities and provisions of any statute, regulation, rule, ordinance or by-law relied on.
Intervener	Any person interested in an application for leave to appeal, an appeal or a reference may make a motion for intervention to a judge.
Memorandum of argument on Application for Leave to Appeal	Part of the application for leave to appeal, the response or the reply filed by or on behalf of parties to an application for leave to appeal. These memorandums on leave set out the facts, the questions in issue and legal arguments.
Motion	A formal request to a judge, the Court or the Registrar to take some action, e.g. to extend the time to serve and file an application for leave to appeal.
Other “filer role”	Someone other than counsel, agent or self-represented litigant.
Party	A person named in the style of cause in accordance with Rule 22 including any person added or substituted as a party under Rule 18, but where referring to the court appealed from, it means a person who was a party in that court.
Proceeding	An appeal, an application for leave to appeal, a motion or a reference before the Court, a judge or the Registrar.
Respondent	The "party" an application for leave to appeal or a "motion" is brought against.
Service	The act of delivering or leaving with another party, in accordance with Rule 20 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Canada, a copy of a document filed with the Court. A document so delivered, is said to have been served.
Stay	Stay (Section 65.1 of the Supreme Court Act) A temporary stopping or suspension of a judgment by order of a court.
Taxation of cost	Costs in a proceeding shall be taxed by the Registrar party and party in accordance with the tariff of fees and disbursements set out in Schedule B unless the Court otherwise orders.
Transcript	A written copy of the oral proceedings of the Court.

Question	Answer
How do I use the Electronic Filing Portal?	Registration First time filers must provide basic information such as their name, and details about the appeal court judgment they want to appeal. This information will allow Registry agents to evaluate the registration request and communicate with the filer if needed. Once the Registry review is completed, the new filer will receive an email indicating the decision of the Registry (whether access is granted or refused). Filers only need to register the first time they use the portal. Electronic Filing Registered filers who have been granted access to the portal can file electronic documents as needed. They must provide basic information about the filing (such as the file number, the name of the party who is filing) and then attach the documents to be filed. After submitting the material to the Court, the filer will receive a confirmation (on screen and by email).
Can confidential documents be filed using the Electronic Filing Portal?	The Electronic Filing Portal does not currently provide for special treatment of confidential documents. Confidential materials filed pursuant to a confidentiality or sealing order should be filed in a manner that preserves the confidentiality of the document. See applicable Rule (Rule 23) and contact Registry if assistance is required.
Is there a fee to use the Electronic Filing Portal?	There are no transaction fees to use the Electronic Filing Portal. However, fees may apply to file documents (see SCHEDULE A). If the document you are submitting requires a filing fee, contact the Registry to complete the payment.
Will the information I’ve entered be lost if I cannot complete the filing at this time?	You must complete all steps in a single session in order to submit your transaction. It is not possible to save an incomplete transaction. Note that the secure link that you received by email will automatically expire after the time indicated in the email and the top of the filing page.
My registration link or my filing link has expired. What should I do?	You must go to the Identification page and enter your email address. An email with a new link will be sent to your email address.
How will I know if my document was accepted for filing?	After you submit your document, you will receive an initial email confirmation of your submission. This email does not mean your document has been accepted for filing. It just means the Court received your document. Once the Registry has reviewed your filing, you will receive another correspondence either: Confirming that your document has been accepted for filing; or Rejecting your document for filing and providing the reasons for the rejection.
Do filing deadlines apply to electronically filed documents?	All filing deadlines apply to the electronic filing of documents. If you miss a filing deadline due to technical problems, you need to request an extension of time. There is no guarantee that an extension will be granted. Using the Electronic Filing Portal does not change the filing deadline set out in the Rules. If your document meets the requirements of the Rules and Guidelines, it will be accepted for filing (filed). The document is deemed to have been filed on the date and time that it was submitted for filing, in the Eastern time zone (EST).
Do I need to file paper copies if I use the Electronic Filing Portal?	When you file electronically, the Court may still require you to provide paper copies in certain circumstances. Refer to the Rules of the Supreme Court of Canada and/or the Guidelines for Preparing Documents to be Filed with the Supreme Court of Canada (Print and Electronic) to determine the number of paper copies required for the document(s) you are filing. When filing paper copies of documents filed electronically, please be sure to indicate clearly (ideally in a cover letter) that the documents have already been filed electronically and include the “electronic filing confirmation number”.
What is the maximum file size allowed for a document? What do I do if my submission exceeds the maximum allowed?	An electronic document must not exceed 75 megabytes (MB). Contact the Registry if you encounter any issues with your filing.
Is there a naming convention for the document(s) being filed?	We recommend that the documents be clearly and accurately labelled for our own records. Please refer to the Guidelines for Preparing Documents to be Filed with the Supreme Court of Canada (Print and Electronic).
What happens if I make a mistake while filing electronically (e.g. the file is wrong) and I did not notice before pressing submit? How do I correct it?	If you notice a mistake after filing a document electronically, contact the Registry by telephone to advise them of the error. Make sure to have the “electronic filing confirmation number” corresponding to this document. Depending on the situation, the document may have already been accepted for filing, and a motion or informal request to amend may be required. If you have already served your document on another party, this will complicate matters, as a new version must be served on that party. To avoid any errors, please ensure your documents are properly prepared before beginning the electronic filing process.
Whose contact information should be provided? The legal assistant doing the filing, or the name of counsel on whose behalf the document is being filed?	Please list the name of whomever can provide prompt responses if the Registry calls with questions about the document filed electronically.
If I have multiple volumes, can I file these volumes at once, or should I file each volume separately?	You can file multiple volumes in a single submission. Ensure to specify the volume number for each document when completing the uploading process.

Question	Answer
What are the browser requirements?	We recommend that you use a recent version of one of the following browsers: Chrome Firefox Safari Edge The Electronic Filing Portal may not function with an alternate browser that is not listed above.
Does JavaScript need to be enabled to use the Electronic Filing Portal?	Yes. The Electronic Filing Portal is designed to only work when JavaScript is enabled.
What can I do if I am having difficulty connecting to the Electronic Filing Portal?	Make sure you have a stable Internet connection. An unstable Internet connection may cause problems connecting to the Electronic Filing Portal and a lost connection prior to the submission of the form may result in a loss of data. If you are able to connect to other sites on the Internet but are having difficulty connecting to our site, you may need to change the settings on your firewall and/or anti-virus software to allow communication to the Electronic Filing Portal.
Can I have multiple sessions open at the same time?	You may only have one (1) browser tab or window of the Supreme Court of Canada Electronic Filing Portal open at a time while submitting documents. Using multiple tabs of the Electronic Filing Portal may cause submission errors.
How do I navigate the Electronic Filing Portal forms?	To navigate the forms, use the “Previous”, “Next” or “Submit” button located at the bottom of each page. Do not use browser Back or Forward button as data may be lost in doing so.
I have read through the above questions but I am still having technical difficulties with the Electronic Filing Portal. What do I do?	Contact the Registry and provide the following information: Contact information Browser (including the version of the browser) you are using Filing deadline Description of the issue Registration v. Filing Confirmation number Date and time of the issue Email address used

Question	Answer
What can I do to ensure that my data is secure?	You should clear the browser’s cache and close the browser after an online session to prevent someone from being able to view your information later.

Question	Answer
Is the Electronic Filling Portal accessible?	While effort has been made to ensure the accessibility of the Electronic Filing Portal, some services might not be accessible to some users. We continue to work on improving the accessibility of the Electronic Filing Portal. If you encounter problems, please contact the Registry and someone will assist you.

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