The Timmins courthouse is not among the sites reopening next month.
A notice from the Ministry of the Attorney General was recently posted to the Ontario courts website announcing the plan to reopen some courthouses, which have been closed due to COVID-19, starting July 6 for additional family law matters, criminal trials and preliminary inquiries.
In the northeast, Ontario Court of Justice Courthouses in North Bay, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie will reopen, along with the Thunder Bay courthouse in the northwest.
Ahead of the openings, site assessments of the courtrooms are being done and health and safety precautions are being implemented. If it's determined that a site can't adequately protect the health and safety of people in the courthouse, the ministry says it will not reopen July 6.
Resuming operations at a limited number of courthouses is the first phase of a ministry plan.
"Court operations will continue to expand with additional courthouses and courtrooms added as the Ministry continues to implement its plan across the province, with a targeted completion date of November 1, 2020," reads a public notice.
According to the notice, when courts reopen participants in a trial or preliminary hearing — including the accused, counsel and witnesses — will attend in person unless a judge has directed them otherwise.
"While court operations are expanding as part of Phase One, the number of courtrooms that are open, and the number of people who can attend inside the courtroom or courthouse, remain restricted in accordance with health and safety guidelines," it reads.
Proceedings for bail, resolution, remand and case management appearances will be done by audio or video conference, unless otherwise directed by a judicial offical.
People with signs or symptoms of COVID-19, or who have been advised by public health or their primary healthcare provider to self-isolate, are not to attend the courthouse.
