Participants are encouraged to join the proceeding from a secure and quiet location. Ensure that all devices and equipment are connected and working properly. You will need access to a reliable internet connection with adequate bandwidthfor video conferencing.
You will need:
The tribunal will send you a meeting invite with a link to access the proceeding via Microsoft Teams.
You should join the proceeding 10 minutes before the start time to address any potential technical issues and login.
The link to the Microsoft Teams meeting in your email will resemble the following image:
If you already have the Microsoft Teams app downloaded, the meeting should open in the app when you click to join the meeting. If you have not downloaded the app, click on the link in the invite and you will be prompted to proceed with a browser version or the option to download the app as shown below.
From this page, you can open Microsoft Teams in your browser (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer) or download the Microsoft Teams app. If you choose to Join on the Web Instead, you will be brought to a new webpage.
Enter your name to join the proceeding as shown below:
To turn your video on, slide the video toggle to the right. In the image below, the microphone is on and the video is off:
To turn your video or microphone on or off during a proceeding, click the icon for the webcam or microphone.
In the image below, the video is turned off and the microphone is on. If either or both the microphone or video function are turned off, there will be a strikethrough the middle of both icons.
When you click the link to enter, you will automatically be placed into the lobby/waiting room.The adjudicator will admit you to join the meeting.
While you are in the main room, the adjudicator may send you a link to join a separate Breakout Room via email. The email will have a link to Join Microsoft Teams Meeting, please follow the same steps as listed above.
You will need to rejoin the original meeting via the original meeting invite (see step 2.1 for assistance to join original invite).
Teams will display your view within a meeting room based on who is speaking and if content is being shared. To focus on a specific participant’s video, regardless of if they’re speaking or not, you must ‘pin’ their video. To pin a participant,open the Participant Pane and click the More Options button and select Pin.
The participant will have a thumbtack icon next to their name in the participant pane and in the meeting room:
If there is content being shared, your meeting room may resemble the below:
If you choose to share a document while there are pinned participants, the document will take precedence and will minimize the videos to the bottom right corner of your meeting.
To switch your view, you will need to click the participants’ video in the bottom right corner and make this the main display.
The Raise Your Hand feature in Microsoft Teams is an excellent tool if you have a comment or question and do not want to interrupt the proceeding.
To raise your hand, click More Options in the control bar.
The adjudicator will be notified when you raise your hand and will give you time to speak when the opportunity arises. Once you have had your chance to speak, the adjudicator will ‘lower your hand’. You can raise your hand throughout the proceeding.
To chat in Teams, click the chat icon in the main controlbar. The meeting chat window will open on the right side of your Teams meeting:
Live Captions in Microsoft Teams allows for you to read captions of what is being said during the proceeding. Please let the tribunal know if you need live captions for the proceeding.
To turn on the live captions feature, click More Options in the main control bar and click Turn on Live Captions:
Transferring files or attachments during a virtual proceeding in Microsoft Teams is not available. However, once granted permission by the adjudicator, you may share your screen or any documents you have open on your desktop.
Note: If you choose to “Share Desktop,” any webpage or document you have open could potentially be viewed by all parties. It is recommended that you only have the files you intend to share open on your desktop.
Any document you intend toshare at theproceeding mustbe emailed to the tribunaldirectly. Please ensure you follow proper tribunalprotocol for document submissions.
If Microsoft Teams crashes, you may see the following error message:
If you’re in a live Microsoft Teams meeting, close the program and click the link you were provided in your invitation email to rejoin (see step 2.1 for assistance to join the original invite).
If you are unable to turn on your video or microphone, open the device settings menu to configure the options accordingly.
If you are having trouble hearing the participants in the meeting room, your computer speakers may be turned down or turned off. Please make sure your computer volume or headset is turned on and is loud enough for your comfort.
The proceeding shall be conducted by videoconference using Microsoft Teams. Please note that, by clicking on the link to the Teams videoconference, personal information such as your name, email address and IP address may be collected, stored, used and disclosed by Microsoft in accordance with its Privacy Policy and the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. Please refer to Microsoft’s Privacy Policy for more information.