Breaking The Bottleneck: Enhancing Efficiency In Legal Processes

The current delays plaguing the civil justice system in Ontario represent a significant problem. There are many reasons that civil cases are slow to be heard on the merits, including (i) the use of procedural steps to intentionally cause delay and frustrate progress, (ii) regular non-compliance with the Rules of Civil Procedure¹ that result in adjournments; and (iii) judicial vacancies. These issues have been exacerbated by the backlog created during the COVID-19 pandemic as courts have sought to prioritize criminal and family matters. It is not uncommon to wait several months, and in some cases over a year, to secure a date for a motion to address procedural matters that arise throughout the litigation process.