Guidelines on filing documents

Table of contents

    In accordance with the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Rules, parties must file their documents by electronic transmission. Documents filed this way constitute the original record.

    We accept the following means of electronic transmission:

    If we consider that it’s justified in the circumstances, we may allow paper-only filings upon request. For more information, contact the Registrar at 613-993-3595.

    Document naming convention

    Use the following naming convention for documents filed electronically:

    • Tribunal case No. – Party – Subject – Confidentiality designation

    Tribunal case No.: If you don’t have a Tribunal case No., disregard this requirement.

    Party: Participant or company name.

    Subject: Topic of the document.

    Confidentiality designation: “PUBLIC”, “PROTECTED” or “CONFIDENTIAL”.

    Examples

    • NQ-2018-001 – Company ABC – Witness Statement – PROTECTED
    • AP-2018-001 – Company ABC – Respondent’s brief – PUBLIC
    • Company ABC – Notice of appeal form – PUBLIC
    • Company ABC – Procurement complaint form – PUBLIC

    Document formats

    • Submit Tribunal questionnaires in Excel format, and all other documents in Portable Document Format (PDF). 
    • Convert documents to PDF prior to filing them electronically. Make sure that the PDF file supports keyword searches with optical character recognition.
    • Where possible, create PDF files directly from a source document (Word, Excel, PowerPoint or any Microsoft Office Suite compatible format). 
    • Scan documents that only exist in paper format to create a PDF file that supports keyword searches.

    Portable document format conversion

    Numerous programs exist for PDF conversion (such as Adobe), including some that are free. Many word processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs have built-in options that allow you to create, download, export and save the document as a PDF file.

    Font

    Some special characters used in certain word processing applications may not convert easily to PDF. You’re responsible for the accuracy of the documents submitted.

    • Only use Roman and Cyrillic alphabets.
    • Scan documents in other foreign language alphabets. 
    • Check special characters on conversion to ensure they weren’t changed.

    Embedded files

    Don’t attach embedded files to your PDF document, including

    • comments (note tool, pencil tool, highlights tool, digital signature tool, embedded files, sounds or other multimedia);
    • forms actions;
    • JavaScript actions;
    • external cross references;
    • web links; and
    • image alternates.

    Document properties

    • Don’t incorporate in your PDF documents any properties that might restrict or prevent us from viewing, printing or searching them. 
    • Ensure that the security setting of PDF documents is “none” and the documents aren’t password protected.

    Page numbering

    • Ensure that pages are numbered consecutively.

    Page size

    • Ideally, each page of an electronically filed document should be in letter-sized format (i.e. 8.5” by 11” when printed); however, other formats are acceptable (e.g. 8.5” by 14”).

    Confidentiality

    • In the confidential version of a document, highlight all confidential information by using shading, boldface characters or square brackets.
    • When filing electronically, delete (don’t simply mask or hide) the confidential information from the public version of the same document. 
    • Add the word “PROTECTED” at the bottom right corner of every page of confidential documents. The font must be red, size 18 Arial and bolded.

    Scanned documents

    Although we prefer that PDF documents filed electronically be converted directly from the original source document, it’s not always practical or feasible. If you must scan a document for filing, follow these guidelines:

    • Resolution – Minimum 300 dots per inch.
    • Size – 1:1 resolution (scan so that the document is the same size as the original) or adjust paper size to the right format.
    • Optical character recognition – Make sure to enable optical character recognition in order to create a searchable PDF document (consult your technical support staff or software provider if needed).
    • Compression – Set PDF compression to “standard”.
    • Images/photos – Set image quality to “standard”. 
    • Quality assurance – Ensure that:
      • all pages and details (e.g. decimal points) were captured;
      • the document is accurate and doesn’t include scanner-generated marks;
      • the document is fully searchable.

    File size limitations and electronic transmission

    Parties must use the Tribunal’s Secure E-Filing Service (preferred option) to file documents electronically. To ensure timely uploads and reduce errors, the following rules apply:

    Maximum file size per document

    Each document must not exceed 100 MB. If a document is larger than 100 MB, it must be divided into separate parts with a cover page for each.

    Cover Page Requirements for Each Part: 

    • Clearly state the sequence (e.g., Part 1 of 5).
    • Include the case name.
    • Include the file number.
    • Include the document title.
    • Clearly identify the party filing the document.

    The Registry will not recombine the parts. It is the responsibility of the filing party to organize and label them correctly.

    Transmission limits

    More than one document can be submitted at the same time. The total size limit for a submission regardless of the number of documents being submitted is 500 MB.

    Do not split small documents

    Do not split a single document of less than 100 MB into multiple parts. Use tabs and bookmarks to identify sections in a logical sequence. Include a divider page or tab before each attachment, properly identified or bookmarked.