British settlers brought their legal system to the colonies that became Canada. They also brought British legal traditions like robes, wigs, and the term “chambers”. In England and Scotland, the offices of both judges and barristers (lawyers entitled to argue cases in higher courts) are called “chambers”. In Canada, judges’ offices are referred to as their “chambers”, and some lawyers use the term for their offices as well. 

It can be confusing, because “chambers” is also used to describe some sittings in the BC Supreme Court. In that court, sittings when a judge conducts short hearings on applications and petitions based on affidavit evidence are called “Chambers”. These applications often deal with procedural issues. They now take place in a courtroom, but long ago (in England in the 1600s), judges met with lawyers in their office (their “chambers”) to resolve procedural issues. Although these matters were later moved to a public courtroom to ensure transparency and public access to decision-making, the term “chambers” was preserved. 

Today, a judge may occasionally ask to see lawyers in their chambers, meaning their office. The judge may consider it necessary to discuss something that shouldn’t be raised in open court due to security or privacy concerns. 

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In the BC Provincial Court, “chambers” refers only to judges’ offices, not to court sittings. The term “remand” is used for Provincial Court sittings dealing with short criminal and youth matters. These may include bail hearings, arraignment hearings, setting trial dates and other short matters. 

The “family list day” or “family remand court” may deal with setting court dates, and/or hearing short applications in family and child protection matters. 

“Civil applications” is used for sittings dealing with small claims applications. 

The types of matters scheduled in remand and applications courts in Provincial Court locations may vary according to local needs.

The Court locations pages of the Provincial Court website often contain schedules including days and courtrooms when applications and remand matters are heard.