The Canadian Bar Association (CBA) recently published an article highlighting "chronic" judge shortages, which is leading to a serious backlog in the court system. That backlog is being experienced in the BC courts, in our experience. The shortage means that it can be difficult to get a matter heard, whether it be a one-hour Chambers application or a lengthy trial. It is not unusual for clients to be on the eve of trial, with all the preparation that entails, only to be advised there is not a judge available to hear the scheduled matter.
We appreciate judge shortages can be frustrating to clients and can result in increased litigation costs. We are committed to working with clients to manage litigation in a cost-effective manner, including finding ways to manage costs arising from repeat court appearances.
We also are supportive of more being done to address the issue of judge shortages in the near future so that private parties can access the court system to resolve disputes efficiently.
Interested in learning more? The CBA article on the topic is available here: