MEDIA BASICS

1. Bring employment ID. This can be a work photo ID, business card, etc.
2. Find the courtroom. Ask the Deputy Sheriffs at the front entrance or staff at the counter in the court office. Most courthouses have printed schedules or TV screens displaying the matters scheduled in each courtroom.
3. Sit at a marked media table, or anywhere else in the gallery. Never walk past “the bar”. The media are not permitted in the front section of the courtroom where the lawyers, accused, court clerk and judge are sitting.
4. Find out if there is a publication ban in place.
   – In court, listen closely at the beginning of proceedings – it is often addressed at the start.
   – Ask the lawyers or the court clerk in a break. If you are still unsure, check with the staff in the court office (located on the main floor of the courthouse).
   – If you are covering a case at the Court of King’s Bench, check the King’s Bench Discretionary Publication Ban list.
5. In the courtroom:
   – Do not bring food or drinks into the courtroom.
   – Do not take photos or videos inside the courtroom or anywhere else inside the courthouse.
   – Display your ID so court staff and court security can see that you are a reporter.
   – You can take notes electronically (on your laptop or phone) and record audio of the proceedings for accuracy in your reporting. No broadcasting or sharing the audio you record.
   – If you are using an electronic device in the courtroom, it must be for work purposes only.
6. The Court does not arrange interviews. If you want to speak to lawyers, family, etc, reporters must make their own arrangements. Judges speak only through their decisions.
7. The Court cannot provide legal advice to media. If you are unsure about publishing/broadcasting something you observed in court, check with your own newsroom legal counsel.

1. Apply for a Ministry-issued Court ID card
   This allows you to bypass security screening at all courthouses and provides other privileges to streamline court reporting. The application process and issuing of IDs is handled by the Ministry of Justice.
2. Read the Electronic Devices Media Policy
   This Policy outlines what you can and can’t do with electronic devices, audio recorders, cameras & video cameras in courthouses and courtrooms.
3. Get access to the Provincial Court Online Docket
   The Online Docket provides a daily digital schedule of Provincial Court proceedings across the province. Each day, the docket will be available for users at 6:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Email the Courts Communications Officer for access to the Online Docket.
4. Get familiar with the process for requesting Access to Court Records
   These guidelines outline how you will obtain copies of court documents, exhibits, court audio, etc from the court offices. Each level of court (Provincial Court, Court of King’s Bench, Court of Appeal) has their own process.
5. Sign up for notification of Discretionary Publication Ban applications.
   Subscribers receive an email notice when  a lawyer or self-represented individual applies to the court for a discretionary publication ban. This ensures members of the media are aware of the application and have 3-5 days to prepare a challenge if they wish.
6. Follow the Courts of Saskatchewan on Bluesky
   Decisions and court updates are posted regularly.
7. Check out the Provincial Court Data Dashboard.
   The dashboard offers court data for the province as a whole, as well as specific data from each of the 13 Provincial Court courthouses.

Courtrooms:

Members of the media are welcome to attend all sessions of court in Saskatchewan, except in rare circumstances where legislation dictates, or a judge orders, that a proceeding be held in private.

In some courtrooms, there are designated media tables where reporters can sit during proceedings. The tables are typically located at the front of the gallery, behind the lawyers’ tables. If there is not a designated media table, reporters can sit in the gallery.

Photographs and videos are prohibited inside courtrooms.

Courthouses:

There are 23 courthouses in Saskatchewan; 10 Court of King’s Bench locations (including one shared with the Court of Appeal) and 13 Provincial Court locations.

Provincial Court also holds court in 59 circuit point locations in rural areas or small communities. Circuit point court is typically held in town halls, rec centres, band halls, etc.

Media can film and photograph the exterior of courthouses (or Provincial Court circuit point locations). Media must remain clear of the courthouse doors or stairs with photography or filming equipment. Photographers and videographers are prohibited from filming into the windows of any courthouse or circuit point court location.

Interviews
Media are permitted to film interviews with lawyers, family or other court participants in front of the courthouse, so long as the scrum does not block the entrance to the courthouse. Note: Reporters are responsible for arranging all interviews – the Courts do not participate in, nor arrange interviews with parties involved in court proceedings.

Accused Persons
Media are permitted to film/photograph accused persons as they enter and exit the courthouse. If the accused is in-custody, media are also permitted to film the Deputy Sheriffs who are escorting the accused.

Judges, Jury, Court staff
Media should never film or photograph court employees, judges, or members of a jury.

Permission to film court interior
If you want to film/photograph inside a courthouse or courtroom for the purposes of a news story or stock images, please contact the Courts Communications Officer to arrange.

Media do not interact with judges in the courtroom, unless instructed to do so by a judge. If an urgent matter needs to be discussed with the presiding judge, it should be done so through the court clerk.

Judges do not provide media interviews on their decisions; they speak through their judgments issued.

Court Clerks / Judicial Officers

When court is not in session, media can direct basic questions to the court clerk present in the courtroom (Ex: spelling or pronunciation of judge’s name, ballpark timing of proceedings, etc.)

Media should not speak with a court clerk when a judge or jury is present in the courtroom.

Note: No member of the media is permitted beyond the bar in a courtroom at any time. The “bar” is usually a railing or half-wall between the public gallery and the lawyers’ tables.

Court Office Staff

Court staff can be found at the wicket counter (Provincial Court) or in designated Registry Offices (Court of King’s Bench & Court of Appeal). Media are permitted and encouraged to speak with staff in the court offices. Media should identify themselves clearly as journalists when requesting information.

– In person, court staff can help reporters with questions about court files and navigating the courthouse.

– Over the phone or email, court staff can assist with basic media requests such as: providing next appearance dates, status of proceedings, dispositions – aka outcome/result of court proceedings, etc.

Depending on the nature of the media request, court staff may ask reporters to complete forms to request information. (Ex: Access to Court Records)

Contact information:

• Provincial Court has 13 courthouse locations and 59 circuit point locations
• Court of King’s Bench has 10 courthouse locations
• Court of Appeal has one Registry Office located in Regina

Courts Communications Officer

The Courts Communications Officer (CCO) is the media liaison for all three levels of Court in Saskatchewan. Her office is located in the Victoria Avenue courthouse in Regina, however she is the main point of contact for all Courts and all newsrooms around the province.

The CCO is not a representative of the Government of Saskatchewan, but is a representative of the Courts of Saskatchewan and the judiciary.

Media can contact the Courts Communications Officer at any time with questions relating to court proceedings or hearings, court protocols, larger-scale court requests, or any other media-related inquiries. The CCO cannot provide legal advice or interpretation of court orders, but does assist in general guidance on court structure and procedure.

Get familiar with the process for requesting Access to Court Records.

This is how the media and the public obtain copies of court documents, exhibits and court audio from the court offices.

Some common terminology for court records:

Agreed Statement of Facts – Document outlining a set of facts that both sides agree are true and will not contest during proceedings.
Provincial Court, Court of King’s Bench, Court of Appeal

Court audio – All court proceedings are audio recorded. This recording makes up the official “court record”.
Provincial Court, Court of King’s Bench, Court of Appeal

Endorsement – A brief, written record outlining what occurs during a court proceeding. Compiled by the court clerk and usually indicates the next procedural steps for a case, or records decisions / court orders, if applicable.
Provincial Court & Court of King’s Bench

Exhibit – Physical or digital evidence that has been filed with the Court.
Provincial Court & Court of King’s Bench

Factum – Statement of facts and an outline of the legal argument. Lawyers will reiterate some, but not all, of the factum during their oral arguments to the judges in the courtroom.
Court of Appeal

Fiat – Directive issued by a judge that mandates a specific action or decision.
Provincial Court, Court of King’s Bench, Court of Appeal

Indictment – Document that identifies the criminal charge(s) laid. Signed by the Crown Prosecutor prosecuting the charge.
Court of King’s Bench

Information – Document that identifies the criminal charge(s) laid. Signed by the police officer laying the charge.
Provincial Court

Judgment/Decision – Conclusion reached by a judge or judges at the end of a proceeding. Reasons for the conclusion are always provided. Judgments and decisions may be delivered orally or in writing.
Provincial Court, Court of King’s Bench, Court of Appeal

Notice of Appeal – Document that initiates the appeal process. Filed with the Court of Appeal by the party initiating the appeal and includes a brief summary of the grounds (reason) for the appeal.
Court of Appeal

Statement of Claim – Document that starts a civil lawsuit. Written and filed by the plaintiff (person initiating the lawsuit) and outlines the issue(s) and what the plaintiff wants. 

Statement of Defence – Written and filed by the defendent (person being sued). It is the reply to the Statement of Claim; it admits or denies the plaintiff’s claims and presents the defendent’s side of the facts. 

Provincial Court 

Civil files (lawsuits) that involve a claim of under $50,000 are heard at the Provincial Court. This is called Small Claims Court.

All Small Claims files start with a first appearance. If all parties are in attendance, the judge will determine if resolution is possible. If resolution does not occur at first appearance, the judge may direct parties to a case management conference. If no settlement is reached at the case management conference, the matter will proceed to trial.

• Provincial Court civil files are categorized by Small Claims number: Ex: #88 of 2026

Court of King’s Bench

Civil files that involve a claim of over $50,000 are heard at the Court of King’s Bench. Each file starts in Civil Chambers (similar to a docket court) where a judge hears a number of matters in one sitting. They may proceed to resolution or trial??

• King’s Bench civil files are categorized by file number. Ex: KBG-RG-00001-2026
  Files prior to September 2022 are QBG (Queen’s Bench) instead of KBG. The RG represents the court location in Saskatchewan with jurisdiction over the file. RG is Regina, SA is Saskatoon, BF is Battleford, etc. The year represents when the claim was initiated.

Civil Litigation Searches

A civil litigation search will produce a list of civil actions commenced for or against a person or party (business, organization, etc).

To request a civil litigation search at the Court of King’s Bench, follow the process outlined here. A province-wide search can only be requested for civil actions started after January 1, 2005.

The Provincial Court does not have a central repository of Small Claims records. To request a civil litigation search at the Provincial Court, an application outlining the search must be submitted to the courthouse of jurisdiction you would like to search. To conduct a province-wide search, an request with the party name(s) must be submitted to each Provincial Court office (there are 13).

Provincial Court 

Every individual charged with a criminal offence makes their first appearance in Provincial Court.

Some files will stay at Provincial Court until the matter is complete. This may include a bail hearing (show cause hearing), entry of a plea, a trial, sentencing, etc. The first several court appearances for an accused person happen in docket court, where a judge hears a number of matters in one sitting. If an accused person enters a plea of not-guilty, the matter will be scheduled for trial to be heard in a trial courtroom.

• Provincial Court criminal files are categorized by Information number (ex: 991000111).

An ‘Information’ is the formal document that outlines a criminal charge at Provincial Court. An Information may include one single offence, or multiple offences (counts) under the Criminal Code.

Court of King’s Bench

Some files – typically ones including the most serious criminal charges – will transfer from Provincial Court to the Court of King’s Bench sometime after the accused’s first appearance. For example, all murder trials are held at the Court of King’s Bench. All jury trials must be held at the Court of King’s Bench.

Once the file has moved from Provincial Court to the Court of King’s Bench, King’s Bench has jurisdiction of the file and all further proceedings will be held at King’s Bench.

• Court of King’s Bench criminal files are categorized by file number (ex: CRM-RG-00001-2026).
  The RG represents the judicial centre in Saskatchewan with jurisdiction over the file. RG is Regina, SA is Saskatoon,
  BF is Battleford, etc.

An ‘Indictment’ is the formal document that outlines a criminal charge at King’s Bench. An Indictment may include one single offence, or multiple offences (counts) under the Criminal Code.

Jury trials (both criminal and civil) are only held at the Court of King’s Bench.

Criminal jury trial: The accused person chooses (elects) whether the trial will be heard by a jury or by a judge alone. In a jury trial, twelve jurors hear the evidence and decide if the accused person is guilty or not guilty. Before the jury makes their decision, the judge explains the law that they must consider when deciding the verdict. If the jury delivers a guilty verdict, it is the role of the judge to determine the sentence.

Civil jury trial: One of the parties requests and pays for a jury. Six jurors hear the evidence and determine the issues involved.

Jury Selection
The selection of a jury occurs on the first scheduled day of the trial. Media are permitted to attend jury selection but are prohibited from reporting any information that may identify a juror or potential juror.

Publication Bans
In every jury trial, this publication ban is automatically in place:

Criminal Code section 648 (1): After permission to separate is given to members of a jury under subsection 647(1), no information regarding any portion of the trial at which the jury is not present shall be published in any document or broadcast or transmitted in any way before the jury retires to consider its verdict.

This means that if something is said when the jury is out of the courtroom at any point during the trial (including selection), it cannot be published. This publication ban is lifted once the jury is sequestered and enters deliberations.

Deliberations
When all court proceedings are complete and the judge has given the jurors instructions, the jury begins their deliberations. This occurs in a jury room in the courthouse and only the jurors are present. Deliberations have no time limit; it may take hours or days for a jury to reach a verdict.

Verdict notification to media
Reporters can provide an email address to the court clerk and request notification when the jury returns with a verdict. It is the responsibility of the reporter to attend to the courtroom as quickly as possible after notification has been made. The Court will not wait for media to arrive before the verdict is read.

Sentencing
Once a jury delivers their verdict, they are dismissed. If the accused is found guilty, the judge imposes the sentence at a later date.

Common terms used in jury trials:

• Summons – The letter received in the mail by potential jurors instructing them to attend to court for selection
• Selection – The court process where 12-14 people are selected from a large group of potential jurors, and sworn in to form a jury
• Challenge for Cause – The process where potential jurors are asked a series of specific questions by the judge. This may occur in cases where pre-trial publicity or potential juror bias may be a factor.
  Example questions: Have you heard, read or seen anything about this case in any form of media (newspaper, radio, internet, social media or TV) with respect to the allegations against the accused? If yes, have you formed any views about the guilt or innocence of the accused?
• Jury charge – The instructions that the judge provides to the jury before they are tasked to make their decision. The “charge” is written by the judge, with input from both defence and Crown counsel. It often takes multiple hours for the judge to read the charge to the jury.
• Sequestered – When all court proceedings are complete and a jury begins their deliberations. Once a jury is sequestered, they do not leave the jury room in the courthouse until they have reached a verdict. If required, the jury will sleep in a supervised hotel and return to the jury room in the morning.

Jury summons and all jury management at the courthouse is handled by the Sheriff’s Office. This is different from the Deputy Sheriffs who provide courthouse security and prisoner transport/management in the courthouse.

More jury information including a FAQ is available on our Jury Information page.

The Court of Appeal reviews decisions made by the Court of King’s Bench, Provincial Court and certain tribunals to determine if the judge, tribunal or adjudicator made legal errors. The Court hears appeals in both civil and criminal matters.

Criminal appeals include sentence appeals, conviction appeals, appeals from acquittals and appeals in youth criminal matters
Civil appeals include commercial, administrative and family law matters

An appeal cannot be filed simply because the decision of a lower court is un-popular or disliked. Grounds or reasons for an appeal include:

• A question of law (Ex: the judge made a mistake in interpreting or applying the law)
• A question of fact (Ex: the judge made a mistake in understanding the facts of the case. In this scenario, showing there was a mistake is not enough. It also must be shown that the mistake was so significant that it led to an incorrect decision.)

Appeal Process

Appeals are started by filing of a Notice of Appeal, which is a document that outlines the appellant’s reasons for the appeal. A criminal Notice of Appeal must be filed with the Court of Appeal within 30 days of the date of the decision by a lower court.

Civil appeals are subject to different rules and timelines than criminal appeals. Sometimes the Court’s permission is required to file a civil Notice of Appeal. Parties ask for the Court’s permission, or “leave”, by making an application to a judge in Chambers for leave to appeal. That application must be made within 15 days of the date of the decision under appeal.  If leave is granted, then a Notice of Appeal can be filed.

In other civil cases, leave to appeal is not necessary. If the party wishing to appeal has a right to appeal, in most cases a Notice of Appeal must be within 30 days of the date of the decision appealed from.

In an appeal hearing, both parties involved in the appeal are required to submit a factum (a document outlining the appeal arguments) with the Court in advance of the scheduled hearing. At the appeal hearing, lawyers or self-represented parties will make their arguments verbally to a panel of 3-5 judges.

Media can attend chambers hearings and appeal hearings in person or virtually via Webex. A Court of Appeal hearing schedule is available online.

In most appeals, the judges reserve their decision. This means they do not come to their conclusion on the day of the hearing. Court of Appeal decisions are issued as written decisions and a timeline of when the decision will be issued is not provided.

Decisions

Decisions in Court of Appeal hearings are not read verbally in court, as you commonly see in the Provincial Court and Court of King’s Bench. Decisions are issued in writing and distributed by the Court of Appeal registry office. The Court maintains a media distribution list and proactively emails high-profile decisions to newsrooms in Saskatchewan. All Court of Appeal decisions are also posted publicly on CanLII and the Court’s Bluesky page.

In general terms, a decision issued by the Court of Appeal may:

• dismiss the appeal;
• allow the appeal and order a new trial or hearing; or
• allow the appeal and change the order of the lower court or tribunal.

After the Court decides an appeal, in some instances a party may seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Approximately 3-5 cases per year from Saskatchewan are heard at the Supreme Court of Canada.

In some court proceedings, the publication and/or broadcast of certain information may be limited. Imposing a publication ban in a court case can protect the safety and privacy of a victim or witness, the identity of a youth, or the fairness of a trial.

Reporter Responsibility

Every journalist covering a court case must be aware that a publication ban may be in effect. This is especially important if you are posting to social media or making live website updates from a courtroom without much opportunity for review before publishing.

It is the responsibility of journalists who attend court proceedings or who obtain copies of court files to inform themselves of any restrictions that limit the publication of information. If you are unsure, ask the court staff at the counter, or ask the court clerk during a break in proceedings. Court staff can provide the section of the Criminal Code the ban is pursuant to, but staff cannot provide advice on how to interpret the ban or tell you what you can and can’t publish.

It is also the responsibility of the media outlet to comply with all publication bans. Breaching a publication ban could be an offence under legislation or it could constitute contempt of court. The penalty could be a fine, a conditional discharge or probation order, or possibly even jail. 

If you are unsure about a publication ban or the impact of a ban on your reporting, always consult your newsroom lawyer/legal counsel.

Types of Publication Bans

Mandatory bans

Do not require a court order and are in effect automatically by operation of statute. The law simply mandates a ban on publication.

Examples: identity of complainant in sexual offences, preliminary hearings, youth criminal files (YCJA)

Discretionary bans

Are granted at the court’s discretion, based on case-specific considerations and/or application from lawyers. When deciding whether to make a discretionary ban, a judge will weigh the public’s right to know against the impact of publication on trial fairness, or on the safety and privacy of a victim or witness.

Examples: identity of witnesses testifying, certain facts of the case, sealing orders

In Saskatchewan, lawyers or self-represented individuals who are seeking a discretionary publication ban must provide 3-5 days’ notice to the media. This ensures members of the media are aware of the application and have enough time to prepare a challenge so they can contest the application in open court, if they wish to do so.
This policy is outlined for King’s Bench matters in: Practice Directive #3 – Discretionary Orders Restricting Media Reporting or Public Access and for Provincial Court matters in: Practice Directive 12 – Discretionary Orders Restricting Media Reporting or Public Access.

Discretionary publication ban notification system

The Courts have an email notification system that alerts subscribers when an application for discretionary publication ban is made. You can sign up for notifications here.

Court of King’s Bench discretionary publication ban list

The Court of King’s Bench maintains and online list of cases that are subject to discretionary publication bans. Reference this list before covering proceedings at the Court of King’s Bench.

Court decisions can be issued by a judge:

• Verbally in court
• As a written document

Decisions are public record. If you are not present in a courtroom for a decision or would like to obtain a copy of a written decision, contact the court office of jurisdiction to obtain the decision.

To obtain audio of an oral decision read verbally in court, you can make a request to the court office of jurisdiction. The audio is to be used for reporting purposes only; the broadcast or sharing of court audio without explicit permission from the Court is prohibited.

Published Decisions

Some written court decisions are also submitted to a publisher and added to online legal databases.

All Court of Appeal decisions on appeals are published, some Court of King’s Bench and Provincial Court decisions are published.

To check for recently published decisions, check the Court of Saskatchewan BlueSky page or the Saskatchewan tab on CanLII.

The Courts do not produce or provide text transcripts of proceedings to the public or the media.

The Courts make a recording of every proceeding, which serves as the official court record.

To obtain a copy of court-recorded audio, media can make a request to the court office of jurisdiction over the matter. Audio recordings of court proceedings must not be broadcasted, distributed or repurposed in any way. Any publication bans or sealing orders related to the case also apply to audio obtained from the court.

Text Transcripts

Transcript Services (a branch of the Ministry of Justice) is responsible for preparing transcripts of court proceedings. To request a text transcript of a proceeding, an application must be made to the Ministry of Justice Transcript Services. Fees are required.

• Eating and drinking are not permitted in the courtroom.
• Hats and sunglasses are not permitted in the courtroom.
• Media can use electronic devices for reporting purposes only. Devices must be on silent and your use of electronics must not be disruptive or distracting to others in the courtroom.
• You can come and go from the courtroom while court is in session, but please do so quietly.
• You will notice lawyers, Deputy Sheriffs and other court staff bow to the judge when entering or exiting the courtroom. Media and members of the public are not required to bow.
• The clerk will announce the opening and closing of court, asking everyone to stand while the judge (and jury, if applicable) enters and exits the courtroom. Remain standing until the judge is seated, or until they have left the courtroom.