RULE 1: OBJECT, APPLICATION AND INTERPRETATION
   (1) Purpose of Rules
   (2) Definitions
   (3) Matters not Provided for in Rules
 

RULE 2: EFFECT OF NON-COMPLIANCE
   (1) Non-compliance
   (2) Court May Grant Relief
   (3) Judge May Dispense with Compliance
 

RULE 3: PRACTICE DIRECTIONS OF CHIEF JUDGE
   (1) Practice Directions
 

RULE 4: NOTICE AND FILING
   (1) Notice by Fax
   (2) Where to File Records
   (3) Idem
 

RULE 5: INITIAL APPEARANCE
   (1) Purpose of the Initial Appearance
   (2) If Accused not Represented by Legal Counsel
   (3) Referral to Legal Counsel
   (4) Preparation for Arraignment
   (5) Intention to Enter Guilty Plea
   (6) Referral to Judge
   (7) Expedited Arraignment
 

RULE 6: CROWN DISCLOSURE
   (1) Early Disclosure
   (2) If Disclosure Issues Arise
   (3) Further Disclosure
 

RULE 7: ARRAIGNMENT REPORT
   (1) Filing an Arraignment Report
   (2) Attend Before Judge if Arraignment not Filed in Time
 

RULE 8: ARRAIGNMENT HEARING
   (1) Who Shall Attend
   (2) Powers of a Judge
   (3) Idem
   (4) Guilty Pleas
   (5) Idem
   (6) Setting Time for Trial or Preliminary Inquiry
   (7) Idem
 

RULE 9: TRIAL READINESS REPORT
   (1) Trial Readiness Report
   (2) Idem
 

RULE 10: TRIAL CONFIRMATION HEARING
   (1) Accused Shall Attend Trial Confirmation Hearing
   (2) Review of Trial Readiness Report
 

RULE 11: ADJOURNMENT OF TRIAL OR PRELIMINARY INQUIRY
   (1) Application of the Rule
   (2) When Application to be Made
   (3) Notice of Application
 

RULE 12: NOTICE BY COUNSEL
   (1) Prompt Notice to the Court
   (2) Counsel Assuming Conduct after Arraignment Hearing
 

RULE 13: CONTINUATIONS
   (1) Order for Continuation within 30 Days

RULE 1 - OBJECT, APPLICATION AND INTERPRETATION

(1) The purpose of these Rules is to provide simple, effective, and efficient management of all proceedings of a criminal nature in order to secure a just and timely determination of every case before the Court.

(2) The definitions in this subrule apply in these Rules.

"accused" includes a young person as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Young Offenders Act. (accuse)

"arraignment hearing" means an arraignment hearing under rule 8. (audience de mise en accusation)

"arraignment report" means an arraignment report under rule 7. (rapport de mise en accusation)

"Court" means the Provincial Court of British Columbia. (Cour)

"initial appearance" means the required attendance of a person in court for the first time in respect of a charge, and includes an adjournment from such appearance. (comparution initiale)

"judge" means a judge of the Court. (juge)

"proceeding" includes a trial, application, preliminary inquiry or other hearing before the Court. (procedure)

"trial confirmation hearing" means a trial confirmation hearing under rule 10. (audience de confirmation de l'instruction)

"trial readiness report" means a trial readiness report under rule 9. (rapport prealable a l'instruction)

"trial scheduler" means a justice assigned to schedule proceedings for the Court. (responsable du role)

(3) If a matter is not provided for in these Rules, the practice is to be determined by refernce to the purpose of these Rules and any practice directions issued under rule 3.

RULE 2 - EFFECT OF NON-COMPLIANCE

(1) A failure to comply with a rule is an irregularity and does not nullify a proceeding, a step taken or any record or order made in the proceeding.

(2) If there is a failure to comply with a rule, a judge may grant any relief the judge considers necessary to achieve the purpose of these Rules.

(3) If necessary in the interests of justice and in consideration of the purpose of these Rules, a judge may, by order and on any terms the judge considers just, dispense with or vary one or more of these Rules in a particular case.

RULE 3 - PRACTICE DIRECTIONS OF CHIEF JUDGE

(1) The chief judge of the Court may issue practice directions consistent with these Rules and their purpose.

RULE 4 - NOTICE AND FILING

(1) If a rule requires notice to be given to the Court, prosecutor or accused's legal counsel, the requirement is satisfied if the notice is provided by fax to that recipient.

(2) Subject to subrule (3), if a rule requires a record to be filed with the Court, the record shall be filed with the Court registry where the prosecution was commenced.

(3) If, as a result of an application to change the venue of a trial, the matter has been transferred for hearing to another Court registry, any record required by a rule to be filed with the Court shall be filed with that Court registry.

RULE 5 - INITIAL APPEARANCE

(1) Subject to subrule (5), the purpose of the initial appearance is to set a timely date for the accused's arraignment hearing.

(2) If an accused is not represented by legal counsel at the initial appearance, the justice shall
  

(3) A justice may refer an accused who is not represented by legal counsel to duty counsel or other legal counsel of the accused's choice before setting a date for the arraignment hearing.

(5) If the accused indicates to the justice the intention to enter a guilty plea, the justice shall record the accused's intention to plead guilty and set the matter to be heard by a judge
  

(6) A justice may at any time refer a matter to a judge for directions and the judge may make any order or give any direction that the judge considers necessary to achieve the purpose of these Rules.

(7) If an accused is to be held in custody until trial or preliminary inquiry, as the case may be, or if a judge determines that an accused requires that a time for trial be expedited, a judge may
  

RULE 6 - Crown Disclosure

(1) At the initial appearance or as soon as practicable after it, the prosecutor shall provide the accused or his or her legal counsel with disclosure required by law.

(2) If at any time an issue arises concerning disclosure under this rule, any party to the proceeding may apply to a judge for directions.

(3) Nothing in this rule limits the ability
  

RULE 7 - Arraignment Report

(1) At the initial appearance
  

(2) If a completed arraignment report is not filed as required under subrule (1), the justice presiding at the initial appearance may refer the matter to a judge under subrule 5(6).

RULE 8 - Arraignment Hearing

(1) Unless a justice orders otherwise, it is a requirement of the Court in both indictable and summary conviction proceedings that the following persons attend the arraignment hearing:
  

(2) At an arraignment hearing, the judge may
  

(3) Nothing in this rule abrogates solicitor-client privilege and the right of the accused to remain silent.

(4) If the accused enters a guilty plea at the arraignment hearing, the presiding judge may
  

(5) An acused who wishes to enter a guilty plea before the date set for the arraignment hearing may appear before a judge to do so on making the necessary arrangements with the trial scheduler in consultation with the prosecutor.

(6) If the judge presiding at the arraignment hearing refers the matter to a trial scheduler for scheduling, the trial scheduler shall
  

(7) The trial scheduler may, before setting a time under subrule (6), refer any scheduling difficulties that arise to the judge who presided at the arraignment hearing, providing the judge with information about those difficulties.

RULE 9 - Trial Readiness Report

(1) At the trial confirmation hearing
  

(2) Subject to paragraph 10(2)(a), the accused's legal counsel, if any, is not required to attend the trial confirmation hearing if the trial readiness report in Form 4 is filed with the Court and provided to the prosecutor at least seven days before the trial confirmation hearing.

RULE 10 - Trial Confirmation Hearing

(1) Unless a judge orders otherwise, it is a requirement of the Court, in both indictable and summary conviction proceedings, that the accused and the prosecutor shall attend at the time set under paragraph 8(6)(b) for a hearing before a judge to review the trial readiness reports filed under rule 9 and to confirm the time set for the accused's trial or preliminary inquiry, as the case may be.

(2) If on reviewing a trial readiness report the judge is not satisfied that the contents of the report indicate with reasonable certainty that the accused's trial or preliminary inquiry, as the case may be, will conclude within the time set, the judge may
  

(1) This rule applies to an application for an order to adjourn a trial or preliminary inquiry, after a time for an order has been set for the proceeding but before it commences.

(2) An application for an order to adjourn a proceeding referred to in subrule (1) shall be made to a judge at the earliest opportunity after the applicant or the applicant's legal counsel becomes aware that an adjournment is necessary.

(3) At least two days before the application for an order to adjourn is to be heard, notice of the application for an order to adjourn in Form 5 shall be filed with the Court and a copy of the notice given to each party, unless a judge dispenses with notice.

(1) Legal counsel shall promptly notify the Court of the following:
  

(2) Legal counsel for the accused assuming conduct after the arraignment hearing shall promptly
  

(1) If necessary in the interests of justice and in consideration of the purpose of these Rules, the judge presiding at a proceeding that does not conclude within the time scheduled may order, on any terms the judge considers just, and having first consulted with the trial scheduler, that the proceeding continue within a 30-day period or less.