Going to court in Milton: a visitor's guide

Checked October 27, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Arrangements change; confirm with the court before you go.

Finding the courthouse

You will find the Milton Courthouse at 491 Steeles Avenue East, Milton, Ontario L9T 1Y7. Two trial courts share the building. The Ontario Court of Justice deals with the bulk of criminal cases, such as first appearances, bail and youth matters. The Superior Court of Justice takes jury trials and the most serious charges. Family, civil and small claims cases are heard here as well.

The Victim/Witness Assistance Program has an office in this building that also covers the courts in Oakville and Burlington.

Office hours

• Court offices: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.
• Counter service: weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and again from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Arriving at the courthouse

Driving and parking. The main criminal courtroom gets going on weekday mornings, which is also the busiest time to park and get inside. Leave yourself a cushion. Parking arrangements are subject to change, so go by the signs posted on site.

Aim to be there 30 minutes ahead. Ontario advises arriving half an hour before your appearance is scheduled. Security screening can take up a good part of that time.

Security at the entrance

All visitors are screened on the way in. Bags may be checked a second time at the door of a courtroom, so give yourself extra time, particularly before the morning lists begin.

• Pocket knives, utility knives and anything else that might be treated as a weapon should stay at home. Prohibited items may be taken from you, and you may not be let in.
• Taking photos or recording video inside the courthouse is not allowed unless a judge permits it.

Locating your courtroom

Bring your summons, appearance notice or release papers. They give the date and time of your appearance and usually name the courtroom too.

The Ontario Court of Justice posts a breakdown of which criminal matters go to each Milton courtroom. According to its most recent version, most criminal case management happens in courtroom 9:

• Monday to Wednesday: adult criminal case management throughout the day. Matters with a lawyer or duty counsel begin at 9:00 a.m. People without a lawyer are heard starting at 11:30 a.m. and again from 2:00 p.m.
• Thursday: domestic violence matters, at 9:00 a.m. for people with a lawyer or duty counsel and at 10:00 a.m. for people without a lawyer.
• Friday: federal case management begins at 9:00 a.m., followed by youth matters at 11:00 a.m.

Two other rooms handle specific work. Courtroom M15 runs judge-led case management at 10:00 a.m., Monday to Thursday, and courtroom 15 is plea court.

Those assignments shift from time to time. If your paperwork points to a different room, follow it, or ask at the information counter.

Courtroom etiquette

• When you get there, tell the registrar (the clerk at the front of the room) that you have arrived.
• Put your phone on silent or switch it off, and keep it out of view.
• Hats and sunglasses come off, unless worn for religious or medical reasons.
• Do not bring food or drinks in.
• Stand as the judge enters and leaves, and whenever you speak to the judge.
• If a hearing is in progress, you may need to wait by the door until a break.

What a first appearance involves

A first court date is not a trial. Criminal cases generally return to court a number of times before they wrap up. Those early appearances are where you get disclosure (the Crown's evidence), have discussions with the Crown and work out the next steps.

Without a lawyer, you can still get help:

• Duty counsel, the Legal Aid lawyers based at the courthouse, can speak with you on the day of your first appearance. To reach Milton duty counsel, call 905-864-8616 or email [email protected].
• For information about your case, contact the Crown Attorney's office. Have your full name, date of birth, charges, police occurrence number (shown on your release papers) and contact details on hand.
• Legal advice is not something judges, Crown counsel or court staff can give you.

With a lawyer, check whether you need to come in person. A lawyer can often file a designation and appear for you on case-management dates, in which case you may not have to attend.

Do not miss court. If you fail to attend when required, a warrant may be issued for your arrest and you may face a further charge. If something will keep you away, talk to a lawyer or reach the court ahead of time.

Going to court over Zoom

Many case-management appearances in Milton are handled remotely. The Ontario Court of Justice lists a Zoom meeting ID, passcode and telephone dial-in number for each courtroom, and you can find them in the contacts section further down this page. Use these only if the court, your lawyer or your paperwork has told you a remote appearance is allowed.

The same standards apply online as in the courtroom. Connect from a private, quiet spot and follow the court's remote appearance code of conduct.

Requesting accessibility support

Anyone who needs a disability accommodation for a court proceeding, for example real-time captioning, an assistive listening device or a temporary wheelchair, should contact the courthouse accessibility coordinator as soon as possible:

• Rashmi Patel, accessibility coordinator
• [email protected]
• 905-693-3065

Your request should cover the accommodation you need, the court address, your court file number and the date and time of the proceeding. If you are missing any of that, contact the coordinator regardless.

Zoom details and contacts

Courthouse contacts

Published court information

Common questions

Sources

• Ontario.ca: Milton Courthouse, hours, contacts and accessibility ↗
• Ontario Court of Justice: Milton courtrooms and Zoom details ↗
• Superior Court of Justice: Milton Courthouse ↗
• Superior Court of Justice: Attending court in person ↗
• Ontario.ca: Going to criminal court ↗

Unofficial copy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Ontario courts. Source: Ontario Court of Justice, retrieved November 1, 2026.

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