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COURTHOUSES

Book a Courthouse Visit

To book a visit, you can use the map above or use the list below to select the courthouse you wish to visit. On the map, please click on your region to see available courthouses. Click on the name of a court to review important information and submit a visit request form. When selecting possible dates for your visit, please ensure any such dates have the necessary approval from your administration as these are received by court staff who take on this role as volunteers, not OJEN staff. Please try to book your visit 5 weeks in advance. If you have not heard back within 15 business days, please contact info@ojen.ca for assistance.

IMPORTANT: Please note that the reopening process for many of our courthouses across the province is currently underway, while a few still remain closed. We would like to bring your attention that restoring effective communication with court staff may take some time due to the profound impact of the past three years on the courthouse visit program, which has been been affected by a combination of public health measures, stress on court staff and court space and changes in key personnel and procedures.

Although the Ontario Superior Court of Justice located at 361 University Avenue has recently resumed booking visits, court staff has received an unprecedented amount of requests and can't accommodate all of them. Some teachers have been taken aback after waiting a month for a response to their request only to be asked to complete a new registration form. It is important to comprehend that courthouse visits do not fall under the court staff's primary operational requirements. They have an obligation to ensure that their operational requirements are met, which can sometimes affect their ability to accommodate school visits and to communicate with teachers.

Furthermore, we are excited to announce that the New Toronto Courthouse at 10 Armoury Street is now open for classroom visits. This courthouse replaces several Toronto courts which are now closed, including Old City Hall and Jarvis.

Prior to your visit, kindly advise students that it is of utmost importance to observe the Protocol for Courtroom Visits, which can be found in the document that must be downloaded prior to completing the registration form. Please dress appropriately. School dress protocol applies to court as well. Sunglasses are to be removed. Only headwear worn for religious and cultural purposes is acceptable. Eating, drinking or chewing gum inside courtrooms is not permitted. Be considerate and respectful of others and talk quietly in public spaces outside of courtrooms, such as lobbies and hallways. Cell phones must be turned off and put away prior to entering a courtroom. Cameras cannot be used inside courthouses for any reason, including for personal use such as class photos. 

Security officers can ask disruptive or disrespectful visitors to leave a courtroom or the building.

OJEN is thankful for the ongoing support of and partnership with the Ministry of the Attorney General which allows us to facilitate courthouse visits to 71 courthouses throughout the province of Ontario.

“In one way or another, the law will impact on all of our lives at some point. Walking through the doors of the courthouse for the first time can be intimidating.  Seeing what court is really like is an important lesson for life.” — Brad, teacher in Ottawa.

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