Canadian Court Records in 2026: Public Access, Record Suspension & Online Removal
Canadian court records operate under the open courts principle - making most proceedings publicly accessible through CanLII and provincial court portals, many of which are indexed by Google. Canada's strong privacy law tradition, anchored by PIPEDA and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, creates meaningful removal options that don't exist under US law. Canada's Criminal Records Act - available at laws-lois.justice.gc.ca - provides for record suspension (formerly called pardons), which limits employer access to criminal records. This guide explains how Canadian court records work in 2026 and what removal options actually exist.
By Anthony WillEst. 2013Published May 27, 2026Read time: 10 min
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Yes, generally. Canadian courts operate on the principle of open courts, and most court proceedings and decisions are publicly accessible. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has noted that while court records are generally public, PIPEDA creates obligations for third-party organizations that republish that information. Key access points for Canadian court records include:
Provincial court portals: Each province maintains its own court portal. Ontario (ontariocourts.ca), British Columbia (courts.bc.ca), and Alberta (albertacourts.ca) have online access to court records - all Google-indexed.
CanLII (Canadian Legal Information Institute): Free legal database indexing court decisions from all Canadian provinces and territories. Heavily indexed by Google - the primary source of Canadian court records in search results.
Publication bans: Canadian law allows courts to impose publication bans restricting media coverage of certain proceedings (particularly those involving minors or sexual offenses).
Privacy protections: Canada's Privacy Act and PIPEDA provide stronger privacy protections than US law for how third parties can use and republish personal information from court records.
Key Difference from US Law
Unlike the US, Canada's PIPEDA framework creates a legal basis for requesting that search engines de-list search results containing personal information - comparable to but less formalized than the EU's right to be forgotten. This applies to third-party sites and Canadian-domain search results.
Canadian Record Suspension (Formerly Pardon): What It Does and Doesn't Do
Canada's Criminal Records Act provides for record suspension - formerly called a pardon. After serving your sentence and a waiting period (3 years for summary convictions, 5 years for indictable offenses), you can apply to the Parole Board of Canada. After a record suspension is granted:
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The RCMP flags the record as suspended in the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC)
Most employers and the general public cannot access it
The record is not destroyed - it is flagged as suspended
The record suspension does not remove the record from court documents, provincial court portals, or CanLII decisions
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Removing Canadian Court Records from Google in 2026
Removing Canadian court records from Google requires a multi-step approach targeting source publications first, then Google de-indexing. Here's the process in order of priority:
CanLII removal request: Email privacy@canlii.org with the specific decision URL, your name, documentation of any record suspension, and detailed grounds for removal. CanLII evaluates privacy interests against the public interest in the judicial record.
Provincial court portal requests: Contact the relevant provincial court portal's privacy or records office - particularly if you have a record suspension. Reference your record suspension and PIPEDA privacy rights.
Google de-indexing: Use Google's Personal Information Removal Tool to request de-indexing of specific pages. For Canadian-domain results, reference PIPEDA principles in your request.
PIPEDA-based Google.ca de-listing: Under PIPEDA, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has issued guidance that search engines may need to de-list certain search results about individuals. This applies specifically to Canadian-domain (google.ca) search results.
Professional removal coordination: For cases involving multiple source pages, data broker profiles, and Google de-indexing, professional services coordinate all platforms simultaneously. See our guide on whether court records can be removed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are Canadian court records publicly accessible?
Yes, most Canadian court proceedings are public under the open courts principle. Federal and provincial court portals provide public access to case records. CanLII (canlii.org) indexes court decisions from all Canadian provinces and is freely searchable by Google. Publication bans can restrict media coverage of specific proceedings but do not necessarily restrict access to the underlying court record. Canada's Privacy Act and PIPEDA provide stronger privacy protections than US law in some contexts - including some basis for requesting de-indexing of personal information from search results.
What is a Canadian record suspension?
A record suspension (formerly called a pardon) is issued by the Parole Board of Canada under the Criminal Records Act. After serving your sentence and a waiting period (3 years for summary convictions, 5 years for indictable offenses), you can apply. If granted, the RCMP flags the record as suspended in CPIC - most employers and the general public cannot access it. The record is not destroyed. Critically, a record suspension does not automatically remove information from provincial court portals, CanLII, or third-party databases - separate online removal requests are required.
Does a Canadian record show in US background checks?
Canadian criminal records may appear in US background checks that include international searches. Standard US background checks typically search US databases - Canadian records may not appear unless the employer specifically requests an international check. Border crossing history is more reliably shared between the US and Canada through the US-Canada information sharing agreement. A Canadian criminal record can affect US entry as an immigration inadmissibility issue - separate from employment background checks.
How do I remove my name from CanLII?
CanLII, the Canadian Legal Information Institute, publishes court decisions from all Canadian provinces and territories. CanLII has a formal privacy request process for removing or anonymizing decisions containing personal information. Email privacy@canlii.org with documentation of your situation, including any record suspension and the specific decision URL. CanLII evaluates requests on a case-by-case basis weighing privacy interests against the public interest in the judicial record. Court decisions remain on CanLII unless specifically addressed through this process.
Does Canada have a right to be forgotten?
Canada does not have a formal right to be forgotten equivalent to the EU's GDPR Article 17, but Canada has privacy principles that provide some analogous protections. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (priv.gc.ca) has issued guidance suggesting that search engines operating in Canada may need to de-list certain search results about individuals under PIPEDA. This provides a basis for requesting de-listing from Canadian-domain Google searches and from other search engines operating in Canada.
What is PIPEDA and how does it help with Canadian court record removal?
PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act) is Canada's federal privacy law governing how private-sector organizations collect, use, and disclose personal information. While PIPEDA does not directly apply to court records (government records), it applies to third-party organizations - including data brokers, background check companies, and potentially search engines - that republish personal information from court records. PIPEDA complaints to the Privacy Commissioner can support de-indexing requests against these third parties.
How do Canadian publication bans work?
Publication bans are court orders restricting the publication or broadcast of certain information from court proceedings. In Canada, they are most common in cases involving minors, sexual offenses, witness protection, and bail hearings. Under the Criminal Code and the Youth Criminal Justice Act, certain bans are automatic; others must be applied for. Publication bans restrict what media and others can report - they do not remove existing court records from court portals or CanLII, and they do not retroactively remove already-published material.
Can I remove my Canadian court record from Google?
Removing a Canadian court record from Google requires addressing source pages first. Start with CanLII (privacy@canlii.org) and the relevant provincial court portal. After source removal or anonymization, use Google's Personal Information Removal Tool to request de-indexing. Under PIPEDA principles, you can also request that Google.ca de-list search results linking to your personal information. A record suspension strengthens all of these requests. See our guide on whether court records can be removed.