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Frequently Asked Questions: CaseLines

1. What is CaseLines?
The Ministry of the Attorney General procured Thomson Reuters CaseLines for the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. CaseLines is a user-friendly cloud-based document sharing and storage e-hearing platform for remote and in-person court proceedings. CaseLines is being rolled out in stages across practice areas and locations.

Some of the benefits of CaseLines include:
- it is easy to use
- materials of nearly any format can be uploaded and easily organized
- users can make private notes and highlight documents
- terms can be searched in all uploaded documents
- parties can navigate documents and direct opposing counsel and the court to view specific sections, and
- users can view uploaded materials anytime, with or without VPN access.
For more information, please see:
- Superior Court of Justice’s
  - Memorandum – Chief Justice Morawetz to all Associations Re: Caselines (July 29, 2020) (“Chief Justice Morawetz’s Memorandum”)
  - Supplementary Notice to the Profession and Litigants in Civil and Family Matters Regarding the Caselines Pilot, E-Filing, and Fee Payment (September 2, 2020; last updated April 16, 2021)(“Supplementary Notice to the Profession”)
  - Frequently Asked Questions About Thomson Reuters CaseLines (includes links to quick reference guides, training resources, and videos)(“Superior Court of Justice’s FAQs”)
  - CaseLines Hearings – Tips for Counsel and Self-represented Parties (“Superior Court of Justice’s CaseLines Hearings Tips”)
- Lenczner Slaght, CaseLines: A Practical Overview
2. If CaseLines is being used for my matter do I still need to file documents with the court?
Yes. Parties must continue to file documents with the court in accordance with the applicable rules of procedure and Notices to the Profession. CaseLines does not replace court filing and it does not constitute the court record.
- Civil and Family Matters - Counsel and parties are encouraged to issue and file their documents with the court electronically by using the Justice Services Online (JSO) Portal (including the Civil Submissions Online and Family Submissions Online portals), or by email, as directed in each region’s notice.
- Criminal Matters - Crown and defence counsel must file materials with the court by email and in advance, in accordance with the applicable rules in the Criminal Proceedings Rules for the Superior Court of Justice (Ontario), the Criminal Code (Canada), and the Superior Court of Justice’s Practice Directions. For more information, see “What do I need to know about CaseLines for criminal matters?”
- Small Claims Court Matters – Counsel and parties are encouraged to issue and file their documents with the court electronically by using the Small Claims Court Submissions Online portal. Note, Small Claims Court plaintiff’s claims and amended plaintiff’s claims can be filed electronically through Service Ontario’s Small Claims Court E-Filing Service portal.
Once documents are filed with the court, parties must upload the electronic copies of the documents into CaseLines at least 5 days prior to the court date, or at the same time as any filing deadlines that are fewer than 5 days, unless directed otherwise by regional notice. Criminal documents for pre-trial motions are to be uploaded the Thursday prior to the week the motion is set to be argued. Parties will receive an email from CaseLines containing a link to the court matter. Upon receipt of this email, parties must login to CaseLines and upload the material. Uploading to CaseLines is mandatory. Material that is not uploaded to CaseLines will likely not be reviewed by the judicial official in advance.

Parties can contact JSO Contact Centre for assistance if they encounter technical issues with e-filing through JSO or CaseLines.
3. What is the estimated timeline for rolling out CaseLines?

The CaseLines pilot project began August 10, 2020 for selected civil motions and pre-trial conferences in Toronto, with an aim to expand to other practice areas and court locations.

It is expected that all judicial regions will be using CaseLines by the end of Summer 2021.

For the status of implementation by region, see the Superior Court of Justice’s Supplementary Notice to the Profession. Additional information can be found in the Regional Notices and the Superior Court of Justice’s FAQs.
4. What do I need to know about CaseLines for criminal matters?
CaseLines has been implemented in select criminal matters across Ontario. For more information, see the Superior Court of Justice Notices to the Profession Regarding CaseLines for Criminal Matters in the following regions:
In criminal matters, access to CaseLines is limited to the judiciary, court staff, lawyers, and their designated Crown and defence staff requiring access. Lawyers are prohibited from inviting or providing access to CaseLines to their clients or any other unauthorized persons. Lawyers should plan to share the necessary documents with their clients using other appropriate means.

CaseLines will not be used in criminal matters relating to child pornography or matters involving self-represented persons. If Crown or defence counsel receive an inadvertent invitation to upload materials to CaseLines in a child pornography matter, or in a matter where they are aware the party is now self-represented or has changed representation, counsel should notify the Criminal Intake or Administration Office as soon as possible.
5. How will I know if the Superior Court of Justice is using CaseLines for my matter?

If your case has been selected for the CaseLines pilot, you will receive an email invitation from CaseLines to upload your materials about 1 to 2 weeks before your court attendance. The email will include a link to your case within the system. Upon receipt of this email, you must login to CaseLines and upload material that has already been filed with the court. For further information, see the question “If CaseLines is being used for my matter do I still need to file documents with the court?”, above.

If you do not receive a notification that your case will proceed using CaseLines, please do not call the Trial Coordination Office asking for your case to be added.

For criminal matters, if a matter fits the criteria for the Toronto criminal pilot and no invitation is received, Crown and defence counsel can confer and notify the Criminal Intake Office.
6. What are my responsibilities when using CaseLines?
Licensees and self-represented parties have specific responsibilites when using CaseLines, including for example, adding their email addresses to all court documents, using specific document naming protocol, and uploading and marking exhibits and previous orders. For a detailed list of these responsibilities, licensees should review Part C of the Supplementary Notice to the Profession.
7. How do I register?

The email invitation you receive from CaseLines will include a registration link. Licensees can also register in advance for CaseLines here.

Licensees should consider bookmarking the CaseLines website to ensure they use the Ontario version of CaseLines and not another jurisdiction.
8. Is there a fee to use CaseLines?
There is currently no charge to use CaseLines.
9. What resources are available to assist me with understanding how to use CaseLines?
The following resources are available:
For demonstrations, information sessions, and continuing professional development about CaseLines, please see:

The Superior Court of Justice
Note: CaseLines will be hosting online demonstrations in June 2021. A recording will be available for those who are unable to attend. For more information, licensees should consult the Superior Court of Justice’s FAQs for links to CaseLines information and training sessions.

Thomson Reuters
- An Introduction to Using CaseLines (18-minute tutorial)
- CaseLines – Logging In
- CaseLines Training – Review Evidence
- Recordings of CaseLines demonstrations (April 2021) (1 hour each)
  - Civil
  - Family
  - Criminal
The Law Society
- On-demand CPD Program: Remote Hearings: Practical Considerations (January 15, 2021), which discusses CaseLines
The Advocates’ Society
- Introduction to Thomson Reuters – CaseLines
10. How do I stay up to date on developments regarding CaseLines?

Consider monitoring the Superior Court of Justice’s Notices to the Profession and following the Superior Court of Justice on Twitter, for updates regarding CaseLines.

The Law Society of Ontario will continue to update these FAQs as more information becomes available.

Last Updated: July 6, 2021

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