Petition record versus application record
A petition record belongs to a Rule 17-1 petition (often using Forms F73, F74 and F75). An application record belongs to an ordinary Rule 10-6 application. Both petition records and application records have revised October 2026 delivery and index-service periods, but their content and procedures differ. Do not interchange the checklists.
Check first that the hearing is actually a petition hearing, and confirm any registrar's specific directions about format and delivery.
Required sequence of documents
Subject to Rule 17-1(11) and any court order, the petition record must be securely bound, with sequential page numbers or tabs, and should include in order:
- A cover page in Form F32.2 (not a generic title page).
- An index of the record's contents.
- The filed petition (usually F73).
- Every filed response to petition.
- Each filed affidavit to be referred to at the hearing.
- The most current Form F102 information statement for corollary-relief proceedings, if relevant.
Documents that may be included include a draft order, written argument, list of authorities and draft bill of costs. Copies of cases and legislation themselves generally do not belong in the record.
What to leave out and why
Rule 17-1(11)(d) prohibits affidavits of service, copies of legal authorities (including judgments, legislation and text extracts), and other unapproved documents unless all parties consent to the additional material. A list of authorities is different from photocopies of the authorities.
Adding an entire correspondence history, extra exhibits not in filed affidavits or unsworn narratives makes the record harder to use and can breach the required contents. Page labels and tabs should let a judge locate the referenced evidence quickly.
The delivery and index-service windows — amended October 1, 2026
Source note: B.C. Reg. 105/2026, Schedule 2, section 6 changed Rule 17-1(11)(e), (12), and (15). For hearings already booked before October 1 or any registry-specific directions, confirm which timing rules govern your case before acting; this page does not determine transitional treatment.
Under Rule 17-1(11)(e), the record usually goes to the registry no earlier than 9 a.m. on the business day 5 business days before the hearing and no later than 4 p.m. on the business day 2 business days before the hearing, unless a registrar sets an earlier deadline.
Separately, Rule 17-1(12) requires the petitioner to serve the record index on each petition respondent by 4 p.m. on the business day 2 business days before the hearing. These deadlines were also amended effective October 1, 2026, by B.C. Reg. 105/2026; do not use older three-day/one-day guides.
A ten-minute pre-delivery audit
- Check case number, registry, hearing date and names match F75.
- Confirm that all affidavits in the record are actually filed and intended for the hearing.
- Check the latest filed F102 if corollary relief is involved.
- Remove service affidavits and full copies of case authorities.
- Check the binder is secure, indexed and page-numbered or tabbed.
- Check the 5-business-day to 2-business-day registry window and the 2-business-day index-service deadline, plus any registrar-specific direction; do not use calendar-day shortcuts.
- Provide the separately marked extra copy of the filed petition required by Rule 17-1(11.1).
- If returning a record after an adjournment, check Rule 17-1(15) (also amended to the 5/2-business-day window).
- Keep a copy and confirm how the index will be served.
Related guides
Important: This page is general legal information, not legal advice. Court rules, practice directions, fees and forms can change. Court orders, exceptions and the circumstances of your own case can change the procedure.