How should I dress and behave in court?
Short answer
JuridiQC states that you must be suitably dressed, that neat and sober attire is preferable, that headwear is not allowed in courtrooms unless it is a religious symbol, and that the judge may refuse to hear you or ask you to change if they consider these rules are not being followed.
In detail
JuridiQC also sets out several rules of conduct: ask the judge for permission before speaking, or wait until they give you the floor; address the judge and not the other party; speak loudly and clearly enough; call the judge “Madame la juge” or “Monsieur le juge” and use the formal form of address with everyone present. Food, drinks and gum are not allowed in the courtroom.
Breaks are generally scheduled (one in the morning, one for lunch, one in the afternoon) and you can ask the judge for an additional one, which they may grant or refuse. JuridiQC recommends arriving early, in particular because some courthouses have security screening at the entrance.
The Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL, Quebec's rental board) asks the same: “Parties and those attending the hearing must behave respectfully and be suitably dressed.” It adds that people present must keep quiet and refrain from showing approval or disapproval, on pain of being removed from the room.
What to document
Get ready the night before: your chronological outline, your exhibits in order, the address and the time, the courtroom number, and travel time including security screening. Plan to be there all day.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
Open the application Up to 3 files, no card · see the plans
Official sources
- The rules and customs to follow in court, in 10 questions (JuridiQC, Government of Quebec)
- How a hearing unfolds (Tribunal administratif du logement)
- 8 tips for preparing your Small Claims trial (Éducaloi)
Related questions
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What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.