A Judicial Case Conference (called a JCC for short), is an informal meeting with judge and the parties and their lawyers if they have retained lawyers.

A Judicial Case Conference is facilitated by a judge and allows the parties to resolve all or part of their claim by agreement.

A party cannot set an application until there has been a JCC except in certain more urgent situations that are listed under Rule 7(3). You need to apply for permission from the court to have an application heard prior to a JCC. You will need to file a Requisition – Form F17 and a letter explaining why your circumstances are an exception.

NOTE: This Guidebook does not provide legal advice and must not be used as a substitute for the advice that a lawyer may provide. This Guidebook provides general information to help people with matters in the BC Supreme Court.

The parties are expected to file and exchange their Financial Statements in advance of the JCC. (See Rules 7-1(8) to (11)) It is an opportunity to try to resolve some or all of the issues between them. Sometimes, everything is resolved at a JCC. If issues cannot be resolved, the judge will explore options to settle the issues or set procedural deadlines to move the matter towards trial. The judge can only make orders by consent (meaning that the parties have agreed to it) or procedural orders.

To request a JCC you will need to call the court registry to ask about available dates. You should contact the opposing party to see which dates they are also available so that you can then request a mutually agreed upon date. To request your date, you must file a Notice of Judicial Case Conference in Form F19 and include a cover page. There is a filing fee (currently $80). Keep in mind when choosing a date that you need to serve the Notice of Judicial Case Conference at least 30 days in advance (see Rule 7-1(8)).