What are some commonly used court terms?
Do I need an email account to participate?
Is there a charge for the online dispute resolution (ODR) program?
Why does the court allow an online dispute resolution program?
What options are available to respond to my ticket?
What are “exceptional circumstances”?
What can I do in the online dispute resolution system?
How does the online case resolution system differ from appearing in court?
What happens if my request to a prosecutor is not accepted?
What happens if my submissions to a Justice are not accepted?
What does it mean if I am ineligible?
If I am offered a resolution how long do I have to review it and submit my decision?
If I do not agree with the court’s decision, can I appeal my conviction?
How do I know which court centre to contact?
How do I authorize someone else to deal with my ticket?
How do I respond to a ticket issued to a company?
Yes, you do. If you do not have an email account, free accounts are available at:
No. ODR is a free service offered by the court.
This optional program grants you the convenience of resolving your matter without having to attend the court in person.
The Provincial Offences Act does not define what “exceptional circumstances” are. The Judicial Justice of the Peace hearing your submissions will determine whether or not your situation constitutes exceptional circumstances. Case law has determined that “exceptional” means unusual, rare, outside the normal course of circumstances.
ODR allows you to respond to your matter online if you wish to:
There is no difference, other than an in-person appearance isn’t required! The same criteria used in the courtroom will be used through the online program to make a decision on your matter. Depending on the response option you choose, a prosecutor will review your matter and any supporting information and/or documents you submit and may offer a resolution to your matter. A Justice will review your submissions and provide a decision.
You will receive a text message and/or email if the prosecutor does not offer you a resolution or you cannot come to an agreement on a resolution. You will need to pay your fine or appear in court on your originally scheduled court date.
You will receive a text message and/or email about the Justice’s decision. You will need to pay your fine by the final response date.
If your matter is not eligible for the program, you are required to respond to your ticket in one of the ways outlined on the ticket, without using the ODR, before the final response date to avoid a default conviction.
The timeframe will be communicated by the prosecutor or before the scheduled dispute hearing, whichever date occurs first. If you do not submit your decision before the due date or dispute hearing, your resolution will expire and your original fine amount is due or you must attend your originally scheduled court date.
There are some circumstances in which you can appeal a ticket to the Court of King’s Bench. An appeal is only available after:
An appeal of a conviction may be brought only with the Court’s permission and only if the appeal is on a question of law or mixed fact and law.
An application for Leave to Appeal/Notice of Appeal to the Court of King’s Bench must be made within 30 days of the court decision. For further information, review the Guide for Provincial Offences Appeals online or at your nearest Provincial Court Office. If you decide to appeal after reviewing the guide, you must complete and submit an Application for Leave to Appeal and Notice of Appeal in the Court of King’s Bench Registry closest to where your traffic court conviction was entered.
A list of court centres and contact information is available at this link: Locations and Contact Information - Manitoba Courts.
The Authorization to Appear form is written authorization allowing another person to represent the defendant. The form must be filled out and submitted to the Court when a defendant would like another person to deal with their ticket. The defendant is still responsible to ensure the ticket is responded to during the response period or that the authorized person attends a hearing, if one is scheduled.
A copy of the form is available here: Authorization to Appear form
If the ticket is issued to a company, authorization on company letterhead from the director, an officer or owner of the company is needed for a person to act on the company’s behalf. The letter must include:
If the company is a numbered company, someone other than the owner or director is addressing the ticket, and the company does not have company letterhead, the court requires:
If an owner or director wishes to address the ticket themselves on behalf of the company, they must provide legal documentation confirming their authority to do so. Acceptable documentation includes:
The documentation must clearly show that the individual responding to the ticket is the owner, director, or an officer of the company.
