Further Reduction of Services Due to COVID-19

This Practice Dlrection is issued further to Circular 03 of 2021.

The heath, safety and welfare of the Members of the Publlc, as well as Court Administrative Staff continues to be our paramount concern.

The continued surge of positive COVID-19 test results the island Is experiencing continues to be of great concern to the community. As such, the Courts must reduce services further as part of protective measures which are necessary to implement in order to assist in the efforts to reduce the community spread of COViD-19.

It should be noted that both the Magistrates’ Court and the Supreme Court of Bermuda are In operation, but reduced services and limited access is being implemented.

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATLEY:

SUPREME COURT

1. The Supreme Court Registrles located at the Government Administration Building, 2nd Floor and the Dame Lois Browne Evans Building, 3rd Floor, will be closed until Tuesday, 27 Aprll 2021.
2. If an application is considered urgent or time sensitive, the parties must contact the Court by email at supremecourt@gov.bm immediately and explain the urgency of the matter so that this may be taten into consideration. The Court wlll make every effort to list any application that is considered urgent or time sensitive.
3. During the period 17 to 30 April 2021, only new applications that are urgent and/or responses on urgent active applications within the Probate Division may be submltted to supremecourt@gov.bm. You wlll be advised when original hand copies can be filed.
4. We are not accepting the filing of pleadings vla emall unless the parties have been directed to do so by the Judicial Department. If correspondence or appficagons are sent via email whlch are not explicitly stated as being urgent it is likely this correspondence via email which are not explicitly stated as being urgent it is likely this correspondence will not be addressed. Likewise, do not send ”follow up” emails unless the matter is urgent.

MAGISTRATES' COURT

5. The Magistrates’ Court will be closed to all filings until Monday, 27 April 2021.

6. The Cashiers Desk will be closed until Monday, 27 April 2021.

7. If an application is considered urgent or time sensitive, the parties MuST contact the Court by email immedlately uslng the table below and explain the urgency of the matter so that this may be taken into consideration. The Court will make every effort to list any application that is considered urgent or time sensitive.

We will continue to review and monitor the above to determine whether they should be extended and/or expanded. The public will be advised concerning any changes.

We thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we navigate through these unprecedented times, and apologise for any inconvenience the reduction in services may cause.