Courts of Saskatchewan

MEDIA RELEASES | DECISIONS | USEFUL LINKS | NEWS ARCHIVE | CONTACT

Initial Considerations Making the Arrangements Preparing for the Visit Contacts

Court proceedings are open to the public and student groups routinely come to watch. Observing court provides a valuable opportunity to learn about our legal system and see how our laws are enforced and applied. Because the work of the courts touches our lives in many ways, watching court is a particularly good field experience. If you would like to bring students to observe court, here are the steps to follow:

1. Initial Considerations

   Before bringing a group of students, consider the following:

   • Live court is different than "TV Court". Things move slowly and information is discussed in great detail. The material may be dry at times and it may take close attention to follow along. This is particularly true with civil trials. Further, trials don't always wrap up neatly in one hour. You may only see a portion of a case during your visit. It is also notable that while some courts conduct trials, others deal with issues such as bail, first appearances on charges, trial scheduling and guilty pleas.

   • Court schedules are unpredictable. You may plan to watch a specific trial, only to find out the day before your visit that it has been adjourned or settled. The best advice is to book your trip in advance, and call again just before your visit to confirm that there will likely be something to watch that is of interest to your class. If there is not, you will want to be flexible enough to reschedule your visit.

     Further, a proceeding might start and then conclude in only a few minutes. It is wise to visit on a day when there are a number of matters on the schedule so that you will have alternative court proceedings to observe if this happens.

   • What is the Maturity of Your Students? Visitors to court are expected to watch without disturbing the proceedings. How long can your class sit and listen before becoming restless? It is common for a class to stay approximately one hour. However, the length of time spent watching court can be longer or shorter as desired.

   • What is the Subject Matter? You will want to ensure that the subject matter the court is dealing with is appropriate for the age of your students. Sometimes the information can be very graphic and may not be suitable for students (for example, in a murder or sexual assault case). A judge does have the authority to limit access to a courtroom in special circumstances. For example, it might be easier for a child victim to give evidence without a large audience present. The court staff can advise you of the nature of the proceedings when you call.

   If you think that observing court may not be for your class, consider the Courts Education Program for some alternative activities that teach about the court system. Through this program you can arrange for guest speakers (judges, lawyers, the Court Communications Officer), or tours of the court. If you are interested, contact:

   Kristen Crowell, Communications Officer
   2425 Victoria Ave., Regina, SK   S4P 3V7
   Tel: 787-9602    Fax: 780-6990
   Email:

   Top of Page

2. Making the Arrangements

   Once you decide to bring a group, contact the courthouse and request the court clerk or the local registrar. This is important because:

   • It avoids double bookings. Most courtrooms only have enough seats for one group at a time. You may even have to split into two smaller, supervised groups if there are others who need to be in the court room (for example, the victim's family)
   • The court staff will advise you of the dates when court is scheduled. Remember, the schedule often changes at the last minute. You will need to double check with the court staff just prior to your visit.
   • The court staff will notify the security personnel so they will expect you.
   • The court staff can advise you of any specific instructions you may need.

   Top of Page

3. Preparing for the Visit

   Before your visit, it is a good idea to give the students some background. If you are teaching a law 30 or social studies class, you may have already covered the basics. If not, you may wish to consider introducing the different types of court and court proceedings, the role of the participants (ie: the judge, the lawyers, etc) in the courtroom, and the court rules below. You may also wish to invite a guest speaker (like a lawyer or the Communications Officer) to your classroom to do an orientation.

   The following rules apply in court:

   • Eating, drinking or chewing gum is not allowed in the courtroom
   • Photography is not allowed
   • Cell phones must be turned off
   • No hats or backpacks are allowed in the courtroom (religious attire excluded)
   • All observers must be quiet and not disturb the court proceedings
   • You may leave during the proceedings, but do so quietly and discreetly

   These rules are designed to ensure that the important principle of public access to the courts is maintained, while also ensuring that the work of the court proceeds without disruption. All visitors must be sensitive to other users of the court including witnesses, victims and victims' families. Always follow the instructions of the Judge, court clerk or security staff, if any are given.

   Security Screening
   
   Please note that in some cities (including Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert), perimeter security screening is in place. All persons wishing to enter the court house will be asked to empty their pockets before walking through an "airport-style" metal detector. Purses and bags will be screened as well. This process can sometimes cause line ups to form at the court entrance during busy times of day. Therefore, visitors to the court house are asked to arrive early.

   Top of Page

If you have any questions about scheduling a court visit, call Kristen Crowell, Court Communications Officer, Tel: (306) 787-9602, Fax: (306) 780-6990.

Contacts:

Saskatchewan Court of Appeal
2425 Victoria Ave.
Regina, SK S4P 3V7
Contact: Kristen Crowell, Communications Officer
Tel: (306) 787-9602
Fax: (306) 780-6990

Queen's Bench Judicial Centre - Regina Victoria Avenue Court House 2425 Victoria Ave. Regina, SK S4P 3V7 Contact: Colleen Schmidt, Communications Officer Tel: (306) 787-9602 Fax: (306) 780-6990 Judicial Centre - Saskatoon Spadina Court House 520 Spadina Crescent East Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7K 2H6 Phone: (306) 933-5137 Fax: (306) 975-4818 Judicial Centre - Battleford Court House Box 340, 291-23rd Street West Battleford, Saskatchewan S0M 0E0 Phone: (306) 446-7670 Fax: (306) 446-7737 Judicial Centre - Estevan Court House 1016 - 4th Street Estevan, Saskatchewan S4A 0W5 Phone: (306) 637-4530 Fax: (306) 637-4536 Judicial Centre - Humboldt Court House Box 490, 805 - 8th Avenue Humboldt, Saskatchewan S0K 2A0 Phone: (306) 682-6730 Fax: (306) 682-3536 Judicial Centre - Melfort Court House Box 850, 409 Main Street Melfort, Saskatchewan S0E 1A0 Phone: (306) 752-6265 Fax: (306) 752-6264 Judicial Centre - Moose Jaw Court House 64 Ominica Street West Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan S6H 1W9 Phone: (306) 694-3602 Fax: (306) 694-3056 Judicial Centre - Prince Albert Court House Central Avenue & 19th Street East Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 4W7 Phone: (306) 953-3200 Fax: (306) 953-3210 Judicial Centre - Swift Current Court House 121 Lorne Street West Swift Current, Saskatchewan S9H 0J4 Phone: (306) 778-8400 Fax: (306) 778-8581 Judicial Centre - Weyburn Court House 301 Prairie Avenue Weyburn, Saskatchewan S4H 0L4 Phone: (306) 848-2359 Fax: (306) 848-2540 Judicial Centre - Wynyard Court House Box 369, 410 Avenue C. East Wynyard, Saskatchewan S0A 4T0 Phone: (306) 554-2561 Fax: (306) 554-5531 Judicial Centre - Yorkton Court House 29 Darlington Street East Yorkton, Saskatchewan S3N 0C2 Phone: (306) 786-1515 Fax: (306) 786-1521

Provincial Court Provincial Court - Estevan Court House 1016 - 4th Street Estevan, Saskatchewan S4A 0W5 Phone: (306) 637-4528 Fax: (306) 637-4536 Provincial Court - La Ronge Box 5000 - 1320 LaRonge Avenue La Ronge, Saskatchewan S0J 1L0 Phone: (306) 425-4505 Fax: (306) 425-4269 Provincial Court - Lloydminster 4815 - 50th Street Lloydminster, Saskatchewan S9V 0M8 Phone: (306) 825-6420 Fax: (306) 825-6497 Provincial Court - Meadow Lake # 3 - 212 - 1st Street East Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan S9X 1T7 Phone: (306) 236-7575 Fax: (306) 236-7598 Provincial Court - Melfort Box 6500, 107 Crawford Avenue East Melfort, Saskatchewan S0E 1A0 Phone: (306) 752-6230 Fax: (306) 752-6126 Provincial Court - Moose Jaw Room 211, 110 Ominica Street West Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan S6H 6V2 Phone: (306) 694-3612 Fax: (306) 694-3043 Provincial Court - North Battleford # 3 Railway Avenue East North Battleford, Saskatchewan S9A 2P9 Phone: (306) 446-7400 Fax: (306) 446-7432 Provincial Court - Prince Albert Box 3003 - 3rd Floor McIntosh Mall 800 Central Avenue Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6G1 Phone: (306) 953-2640 Fax: (306) 953-2819 Provincial Court - Regina 1815 Smith Street Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 3V7 Contact: Colleen Schmidt, Communications Officer Phone: (306) 787-9602 Fax: (306) 780-6990 Provincial Court - Saskatoon 220 - 19th Street East Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7K 2H6 Phone: (306) 933-7052 Fax: (306) 933-7043 Provincial Court - Swift Current Court House 121 Lorne Street West Swift Current, Saskatchewan S9H 0J4 Phone: (306) 778-8390 Fax: (306) 778-8581 Provincial Court - Wynyard Box 1449 - 410 Avenue C. East Wynyard, Saskatchewan S0A 4T0 Phone: (306) 554-5521 Fax: (306) 554-5531 Provincial Court - Yorkton 120 Smith Street Yorkton, Saskatchewan S3N 3V3 Phone: (306) 786-1400 Fax: (306) 786-1422

Top of Page

© Copyright 2003 Courts of Saskatchewan

Contact: webmaster@sasklawcourts.ca

This page was last updated on December 22, 2009.