It’s one of those weeks again for me, a hurry up and wait week.
I have a matter on a Court list in Hamilton. The matter could be called at any time this week, or it could not be called at all, in which case it gets put on a list for another week. Maybe with priority status, maybe not.
I’ve prepared for the matter and am ready to go on a moment’s notice. Of course, if this is not heard this week, I’ll have to prepare again. As you might guess, lawyer preparation is not free.
This is another glimpse into the Ontario Legal system that most members of the public are not familiar with. It is not just Hamilton that runs this way: Milton runs its trial lists the same way – for five weeks at a time. Trying to schedule other matters during those five weeks is a challenge for lawyers and witnesses.
Does it make sense to have us “hurry up and wait”? No.
Is this likely to change soon? No.
Why not? For many reasons, not the least of which is that there is no public outcry about the situation. Instead of searching for Crack Videos, perhaps some of the larger newspapers could report on our crumbling civil legal system.
While our firm only handles business matters, we are on the same list and face the same delays as people with serious injuries who are looking for compensation as well as many families dealing with child support and child custody issues. Surely that bothers the general public?
Apparently not right now. So, please pardon me while I stop blogging and return to my previously scheduled “hurrying up and waiting”.