Frequently Asked Questions

Can you prepare criminal transcript for me?

Yes! Appeals Unlimited can obtain the transcript on your behalf from whichever criminal transcription company has the contract to transcribe BC Supreme Court matters in that region of the province. We cannot use our own Certified Court Reporters to prepare the transcript though.

What are the timelines for Civil Appeals?

Once you file your Notice of Appeal, you have 60 days to file an Appeal Record and Transcript. Once you file your Appeal Record, you have 30 days to file your Appellant's Appeal Book, Factum and Transcript Extract Book. The Book of Authorities should be completed within a timely manner after the filing of one's Factum - at least 30 days before the appeal is heard.

We need Appellant’s Appeal Books completed. Does the Respondent have to approve of the content?

No. If the Respondent wants material included that you do not need, they can file a Respondent’s Appeal Book.

Can I choose which exhibits to include in my Appeal Books?

Yes. If you are unsure which exhibits you’d like, please contact us and we can forward you a copy of the exhibit list.

Can I choose which affidavits to include in my Appeal Books?

Yes. Please note that the affidavits included in the Appeal Books must have been filed in the lower court first before being brought in front of the Court of Appeal.

I have selected an Affidavit to include in my Appeal Book, but I do not want to include all of the exhibits attached to Affidavit. Can I do that?

No, unless you receive permission from the Registrar to exclude certain exhibits to the affidavit. Usually the material must be quite voluminous for the Registrar to agree.

I have a consent order to file a late Factum, but it does not specifically mention consent to file the Appeal Books. Can you still file the Appeal Books for me?

Unfortunately no. The Court of Appeal Registry will only accept the materials specifically listed in the consent order, even if common practice dictates that both of these books are filed at the same time.

I have an Appeal that was heard in a registry outside of Vancouver. Can you still prepare Appeal Books for me?

Yes. We can prepare Appeal Books from all over the Lower Mainland. If you need material from outside the Lower Mainland, please contact us.

Why do final Reasons for Judgment take so long to receive?

Unlike transcript of proceedings, Reasons for Judgment must be sent to the Judge for a final edit before they are released to the public. For a regular order, our company guarantees to submit the draft reasons to the courthouse within 2 business weeks. Once we have submitted the Reasons to the courthouse, Appeals Unlimited has no control over how long the Judge takes to review the Reasons, and we are not informed as to when to the Reasons will be completed.

I want to order transcript. Can I pick and choose what to get transcribed?

Yes, within reason. We will transcribe specific time frames and parts of witness testimony, but we cannot search for a specific quote. For example, if you’d like the cross-exam of Jane Smith and the in-chief of John Doe, or from 10:30am to 12:33pm transcribed, we’d be more than happy to do so. If you would like us to transcribe from Mr. Clark said “Jane Smith had brown hair” to “the Butler did it” by Ms. Spence, we will be unable to transcribe this for you.

I need Reasons for Judgment transcribed from the Court of Appeal. Can you do this for me?

No. All Court of Appeal Judgments are automatically transcribed by Registry staff. If the matter was heard in front of a three-judge panel then the reasons will be distributed to counsel. If the matter was only heard in front of one Justice, the Reasons must be retrieved from the Court of Appeal Registry at Howe and Smithe.

I need a Book of Authorities prepared, if I give you a list of them will you get the text of the Authorities for me?

Absolutely! We do charge a fee for this service, so if you're looking to reduce costs please email or courier us the authority.

I am representing myself. Can you tell me what to put in an Appeal Book?

Yes and no. We can advise you of the documents that are required by the Court of Appeal, but we cannot provide any legal advice about your case.