In 2020, Guelph’s Court Services started conducting virtual court proceedings using new technology and improved and modernized frontline customer service and communications.

The City installed video technology in the courtrooms and in the public waiting areas, including a document camera for exhibits and document display. With these technology improvements, Guelph can accommodate remote court appearances, reduce service counter traffic and in-person interactions by offering services remotely. Available remote services include applying for disclosure, looking up case information online, electronic submission of court applications, and online payments.

In addition, the City redesigned its public-facing webpage at guelph.ca/court to make court information easier to find, understand and use. The process involved using web analytics to learn which subjects were most popular, rewriting the information based on what users typically look for, then reorganizing the landing page with the most popular services front and centre. The webpage was mobile-friendly and accessible before these changes—now it’s more customer-focused too!

Implementing virtual courts and creating a more user-friendly webpage is allowing Guelph to improve service delivery while encouraging a more customer focused, performance driven and digitally enabled culture.